Survey Results for ʻCider Viability Projectʼ - Ice Ciders
David & Melissa Dobernigg
June 24, 2012
The following document contains results from the 113L of ʻice styleʼ cider distributed in
January of 2012. For information on the process and fermentation details please see
the document “Cider Viability Project - Process”. Funding for this project was provided
by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of British Columbia and Agriculture and AgriFood Canada.
For more information on the project and to follow the researchersʼ own journey towards
starting a cidery on their orchard, please visit http://www.thebxpress.com
A full spreadsheet is available for viewing at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?
key=0AqJQ6VNq9NMRdGNOR1dlSVFuQ090UWZyM2VaNDhmanc
The following quantities of ice cider were bottled and distributed:
- ic.a - 4L Ambrosia
- ic.b - 40L Aurora
- ic.c - 4L Crabapple
- ic.d - 20L Honeycrisp
- ic.e - 40L Mixed dessert apples & some bittersweet cider apples
- ic.f - approx. 5L - same as ic.e but carbonated.
92% ranked it as a 3 or higher on a scale of 1-5, with 67% ranking a 4 or 5. There were
noticeable flaws in the bouquet, palate, and finish of ciders b and e in particular (which
were also the ones we had the most of) however general feedback was still very
positive with 76% of respondents indicating that they would at least purchase one bottle
a year.
Was there anything in particular you did or did not like about the cider?
• "I loved it! Which surprised me (I'm not a huge fan of dessert wines). I like the after
taste - a little tart especially after the sweet taste.
• A little too sweet for my taste. Perhaps after the correct meal it wouldn't taste so
sweet.
• Ice b was dryer and I liked it. The ic e was very sweet, it was a great apple taste.
• "Ice e was not carbonated. Ice.b had bubbles i was not as fond of the carbonation.
• I loved it, if I had the 2 together I would have marked the other one 4, as I like this oe
better
• so much flavor!!! it was quite tasty, but didn't strike home as something i would
personally rush out and buy. it would certainly be on par with how often i would choose
to consume ice-wine compared to regular wine. we are also going to try to freeze the
next bottle for a short period of time. eager to compare this kind to another variety
• I liked that it was not too sweet - it made it a nicer sipping/dessert wine. Very crisp
and flavourful. No particular apple flavour, which was surprising, but nice.
• so much flavor!!! it was quite tasty, but didn't strike home as something i would
personally rush out and buy. it would certainly be on par with how often i would choose
to consume ice-wine compared to regular wine. we are also going to try to freeze the
next bottle for a short period of time. eager to compare this kind to another variety
• the taste surprised me
• it tastes perfect for me.
• This is a very good product, and much more like the ice wine I have tasted before.
However, my preference was for the previous cider I had tasted. This was quite
sweet, and the flavour was much more predominantly apple. Still a smooth and tasty
product, and perhaps more what consumers would expect from an ice wine/cider.
• It had a crisp, clean flavour. Not too appily. Am not a big fan of really sweet wines but
this one was very good(pobably because it wasn't too sweet)
• It tastes good, a bit sweet. I feel like it needs more fizz. Like more carbonation or
something. Definitely something you'd sip, not guzzle! Almost tastes, warm? As in not
light and refreshing. Tart and sweet.
• Tastes lighter and less sweet than "E" but still needs some fizziness to it! I know it's a
sipping drink, but when I buy a 'cider' I assume it's going to taste a little carbonated.
But for the drink it's intended to be, it tastes good. A sipping cider after dinner.
• The real apple flavour.
• tart pure apple flavour
• I was surprised how much I enjoyed the apple flavour as I dont drink apple juice and
rarely drink alcohol.
• It had a very distinct apple flavour that wasn't diluted...tasted natural
• "I liked the apple flavour and the smoothness. I like how it does not taste like alcohol
nor does it have an aftertaste.
• Very good apple taste, I cannot taste the alcohol at all, amazing. I enjoy this much
more than beer or wine. What surprises me the most is that there is not a strong after
taste which I really like. Sign me up for the first case!
• It had the right amount of sweetness (not sickeningly sweet like an ice wine), flavour
was perfect and enhanced by the bubbliness of the cider.
• I like the flavour.
• I like the apple taste, I can tell this one is an alcoholic drink more than the previous
one (e) and it tastes a bit stronger, which I don't care for quite as much. Still very good
though and goes down very smoothly.
• It was delicious - the right amount of sweetness and a nice fruity flavour. However, of
the two products sampled, I did prefer (slightly) the flavour of the other product (ic.e).
• could not taste the alcohol content. Tasted almost like regular apple juice, without
anything special. Keeping in mind the bottle froze in my car and I had to thaw it to
fridge temperature.
• It wasn't overly sweet but was crisp and fruity without being overpowering. You
couldn't taste the alcohol, which is another bonus.
• Sweet but not syrupy much appreciated.
• Very nice flavour!
• The cider was really good but very very sweet -- it was good as a dessert wine but not
something I would have a large serving of. I really liked the full flavour of it...you can
really tell that it is made from very high quality juice.
• "very pronounced apple flavour, you can tell this was from real juice!
• very sweet, but i was expecting this as it is a ice beverage"
• Too sweet
• Great tastes unsure if I like the sparkle.
• My favorite! Great apple taste
• I really enjoyed the apple flavor in b. loved it
• I enjoyed to sparkle! Great flav
• I loved it!
• more vibrant than ic.b
• It has a peculiar after taste
• It is smooth, very strong as one little glass made me a little tipsy. The sweetness is
just right for a dessert type of beverage. I found the fermentation taste a little odd to
my taste. I know the taste of apple juice going off in my frig and it reminded me of that
taste which I dislike. I don't know if that is the type of apple or just the age at which the
apple was processed. Perhaps, and I don't really know anything about this, if the
apple was processed earlier this taste might not be there? The color isnice. There are
bubbles? Is it carbonated? Very nice aftertaste. I wanted more. I do get a headache
however from sulphites. I don't get a headache from many of the wines from smaller
wineries in the Ok valley and usually shop there for wines instead of the ones in the
stores which have sulphites in them. I would appreciate it more if it were "organic" or
sulphite free at least. Great idea to do this. Thanks so much for letting me try it. I did
chill it and it does make it much more palatable. I did taste the product within a few
days of receiving it.
• Felt that it was tart. Prefer sweeter cider :-)
• we thought that they were very good, excellant flavour - although to be honest, we
have not had any previously. Only had ice wine once before - wasn't our thing.
• I love the light flavour, the carbonation is a little strong. Causes a little physical
discomfort on tongue.
• Like the apple taste, bit of a strong aftertaste that I am not particularly fond of. If it
were not carbonated I don't think I would like this one as much due to the strong taste.
• I like they way it effervesces in my mouth.
• I am indifferent. The flavour is kind of bland. I could take it or leave it.
• Has an aftertaste, nothing extraordinary.
• too strong a taste for me.
• Liked this one better because it was sweeter but not sure about the bubbles (reminded
us of a cooler - if that makes sense)
• Sweet ,pleasant,fruity,clean
• Bitter,unpleasant aftertaste
• This is the 3rd we have sampled and so far it is the fave :-)
• Nice aftertaste
• Bubbly doesn't fit desert wines very well
• a little sweet, we added ice cubes
• no
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
I like its long sweet taste
Thought the taste was very good however thought it also way too sweet for my taste.
It was very good quality and flavourful, it was very aromatic. I prefer a drier cider.
I like the bitter sweet taste that wraps the tongue, and finally the sweeter tates wins on
the surface of the togue and the palate.
"Quote when first tasting 'It tastes like the Okanagan""
Sweet but also refreshing due to some retained acidity
Lots of flavour, definitely a sipping drink
Love the undertones of honey with the intense apple flavour - tastes like summer
It's good, but I'm not a fan of the combination of sweet and sparkling. This was the
second one we tried tonight and in comparison, I preferred the non sparkling one. I
think that, for me, a sipping cider should be non-sparkling.
left a fairly accidic aftertaste
I loved the smoothness. It wasn't stick or syrupy like some ice wine. It tasted fresh
(straight from an orchard). Not too sweet, with a hint of tartness. I loved the smell of it
and the taste was amazing.
no
Lots of flavour.
for some reason this one tasted like home brew.
loved it
The beautiful golden amber colour is very appealing to the eye. It pours as a lovely
smooth liquid gold. The flavours were very complimentary - not too sweet followed by
a slight tartness. This ice cider has a nice liquer feel as it rolls over your taste buds :)
a very smooth velvety experience. If liquid gold had a flavour, this would be it!
It's good, but has a slightly bitter undertone. I enjoy it, but it's not my favourite that I've
tried.
Had a pear flavour that was well received by everyone
Most of my group felt this was the most "appley" of the three we tested and had the
nicest flavour.
This was the least liked of the three we tasted. Flavour was described by a couple of
people as "chemically". Was this heavy to MacIntosh?
I lIked that is was not too sweet.
Although we were told it was sweeter than it should be, it did not come across as
'syrupy'. It does have a slight aftertaste that may be due to the sulphites. It has good
apple flavour.
The taste was nice and reminded me very much of summer. However, it was a bit
sweet for my palate, tho' I expected that being an ice cider.
i liked that it wasn't too sweet and lighter than ic.b.
I, don,t care for ciders, it too sweet for me, sorry!
"It is very smooth.
We really like that it isn't REALLY sweet (like most dessert-type wines we have tried including fruit dessert wines from Elephant Island in Naramata).
We really enjoyed the apple flavor.
One of us found it a bit tart - which was liked.
Didn't like - a slight bitter after-taste (immediate) on the tongue.
We would definitely buy this (for personal drinking, for gifts)..."
• This was our fave. We drink Ice Wine and we like it to be sweet. This was sweet but
tart. Perfect.
• It was alright for something different but not something we would rush out to buy.
• "It has a nice ""thickness"" (not to light and not too heavy). This is absolutely
something I would buy in the store and could easily compete with the likes of Elephant
Island. There were light bubbles in our bottle (don't know if this was intentional but we
liked it that way).
• Only one complaint. We drank the bottle over the course of 2 days. The first day it was
great but after finishing the last quarter of the bottle on day 2... I got a bad headache. I
didn't have enough alcohol to be hung-over so I'm wondering if maybe there was
something in the process that settled to the bottom and caused the headache???"
• We tried four samples (b, d, e, f) and this was the only one we didn't like. Neither of us
are quite able to describe why we didn't like the taste. Was it too tangy? Too sharp?
One possibility is that we let it sit out too long. Our sample was quite carbonated...
was that intentional? My husband got a headache after drinking the bottom half of this
bottle.
• Loved everything about this bottle! Our favourite of the four samples (b, d, e, f). Hubby
says it has a "super nice taste". We both found it to be fresh and sweet. I would
absolutely buy this!!
• Loved this one almost as much as the "e" sample. Of the two... I think we both
preferred "e". When buying ice cider .... I would prefer a higher alcohol content and no
carbonation. But the taste is perfect.
• "I actually enjoyed all 3 ciders...,being a cider lover, I actually split the bottle(s) in half
and topped them up with Club Soda - DELICIOUS!!
• I'm not a sipper and having cider sitting in a small glass just doesn't work! lol"
• sparkling + sweet - YUM!
• little bit sparkly, and bit sweet - wonderful!
• it was between e and f- I preferred the rich quality of 'e'
• love the smell and color
• very good - smelled a bit overripe
• slight effervesence/acidity - balances sweetness
• I prefer the sparkling fizz of the ice cider f
• good acidity ICF - better flavour
• sweet
• "smelled bad
• acid taste"
• very good - almost like a liqueur
• smooth, no afterbite. pleasant after buzz.
• a raw, tart taste - kinda wild!
• like sweeter, very good high quality product.
• bingo!! really nice full flavour. Just right tanginess.
• slight aftertaste. A little tart for ice wine.
• Of all - the best flavour. Better than ice wine. Would complete well in the high-end ice
wine market.
• smooth
• Its sweeter than what I normally enjoy. But I like - no love! - how it tastes in terms of
flavour.
• I'm not a big beer drinker/cider drinker or wine for that matter but this drink I could
enjoy all year round. It's sweet and I like that but it also tastes very natural which is
why it's a 5 for me.
• like apple flavour. a bit sweet - maybe more alcohol. if you want to compete with ice
wine mabe 10%
• very good! like apple taste! liked this one!
• love apple flavour. needs a bit better aftertaste
• I like the sweetness. Too sweet to drink regularly, I would drink for special events. Feel
like I should be getting drunk. Directly comparable to ice wines, better because its not
quite as sweet. 'started with this one but wish we ended with it'.
• "strong apple flavour
• tastes more like juice than it does cider.
• does taste really good but misses the mark comparing to ice wine
• easy to drink
• taste is flat.
• "Not as sweet as ice wine. Was a more tart taste to it (aftertaste). After taste feeling in
throat is like after tasting something sour. Comparable to ic.d but this one would be a
for a specific audience *perhaps catering to those not seeking super sweet drinks. It's
good but the aftertaste is distracting, but it grows on you.
• -an acquired taste. "
• very smooth. Not too sweet. no aftertaste. very light
• very smooth, stronger than B. goes well with chocolate. No after taste. A little crisper
than B.
• stronger flavour. tartness. reminds of sunrype apple juice. bit of an aftertaste. rougher/
woody/glue flavour.
• "i like this one for a cider. I like that this one has bubbles. Doesn't compare to an ice
cider or iced wine, but is sweeter than expected.
Please share any feedback or thoughts about this product.
• I have never bought ice wine before. I normally don't like it so sweet, although I have
to admit that I would more than likely buy more often if you were selling it. Especially
as gifts for people who don't live in the Okanagan.
• Overall good - just a little too sweet
• eager to compare it to other flavors
• It's good, just not my cup of tea.
• The after taste is soooo sweet! My fiancé tried it as well but couldn't handle the
sweetness! Again, it's a sipping, dessert wine and it isn't intended to be gulped. It's
good, but Im a carbonated apple cider person:)
• It needs a purple label.
• Wow, does that drink easily.
• If the product was priced in the range I have selected, I would probably purchase more
product than I have indicated.
• If this product were priced in the range I have selected there is a likelihood I would
purchase more product.
• Might be better as a sparkling cider ie. carbonated.
• Would consider $6 plus for limited edition varieties or special events.
• I think with a lot of the ice wines you are paying for the name, so I believe you would
have to price this product lower and then as your name grows you can increase the
price
• The concept of ice cider was difficult for the people I shared this bottle with. They all
thought it tasted good but was way too sweet -- but then ice wine is always very sweet
isnt it? I am super excited to try the other ciders you are making as I'm sure they will
be delicious.
• I would expect it to be cheaper than ice wine and even marketed differently instead of
a very sophisticated dessert drink to a more regular type of meat and potatoes person
who wants to top off the bbque meal with something nice and tart/sweet for fun, but
not expensive or high-flying for dinner parties. I guess I'm saying, it's perhaps an ice
wine for the country crowd and the price allows it as an alternative to high priced ice
wines.
• Looking forward to trying the rest.
• Not sure if aging would smooth out the flavour similar to grape wines. I found B and E
to have a little harsh after taste. D, we agreed was the best.
• Not a fan of this one.
• Needs a lot of work
• if it had higher alcohol content we could pay more
• well done!
• "Nice color
• Nice texture
• Nice smell
• Its warm effect left after in the throat
• Its sophisticates pure taste
• You should pursue its confection.
• We are not typically dessert wine drinkers, but this is delicious and I could see us
purchasing it as gifts or as a treat for ourselves. Nicely done!
• We expected to like the sparkling ice cider more than we actually did. The flavour is
nice, but oddly, we felt that the fact that it was fizzy made it seem 'cheaper'. That feels
harsh to say, and we did really enjoy it, but found ourselves inclined to pay less for a
sparkling ice cider than a non-sparkling. Again - very tasty, but honestly, it wasn't our
favourite.
• I didn't even mind the bottle that it came it. The size was nice and it fit in my fridge a
lot better than some of the tall bottles. I would buy this product as is, right now and I
would recommend it to my friends.
• I loved the taste, not too sweet and sticky and had a tangy little bit to it. I even like the
smaller bottles (great for camping or sticking on the top shelf of the fridge.
• slight bitter taste. Just too home brew
• a beautiful full flavour, just what I'd expect from an ice wine. Yet I feel even better that
it's with local apples
• I can see this on the speciality shelf with a ""high -end"" label design that sets the
expectation for the type of experience you get when you taste this ice cider!"
• It's a nice ice cider, but as we've had the opportunity to try several, I can't help but
compare. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to put this here :) but my favourite so far is 'e'. For
me, it's the most balanced and rounded of the ones I've tried.
• "The texture was described as syrupy and the flavour was very nice.
• The product was tested by a group of twelve people and there was no one who did not
like this sample, although only one chose it as their favorite of the three. It was
interesting that not one member of the tasting panel ever bought ice wine and the only
experience anyone had with ice wine was when they had been given a bottle or
sample."
• This was a delicious ice cider and virtually all in my group of twelve voted this as their
favorite. Smooth, tasty and sweet as an ice cider should be and compared favourably
with ice wines that many had tried.
• Clarity, viscosity and sweetness were all similar to the other two we tasted but of the
twelve in my group, no one thought this was the best.
• A great sample of what (hopefully) will come. It is lighter than a dessert wine, and
does not have an overwhelming alcohol impression. A slight feeling of effervescent on
the tongue.
• "I liked it better than any ice wine that I've tried. But it would be a rare treat for me to
consume so I would not buy it often.
• I put that it was ic b. but now I can't for sure remember. I left the bottle at my mom's
and it isn't there anymore. "
• found it to be very sweet and smooth.
• medium sweetness. pleasant product for sipping on.
• "We would consider buying more if packaged in smaller bottles - we find that we don't
finish dessert wine if it is just the two of us, as it's shelf life is short (once opened).
Would it be possible to package in smaller bottles - even if they were packaged in
groups of 2-6 bottles to purchase?
• We are heavily influenced by the fact that the product is locally grown and
manufactured as well as provides jobs in our community."
• "We are not fond of ice wines either.
• Just find them too sweet to our liking.
• Loved it overall
• Wonderful - no change needed!
• very good
• very syrupy, very nice. could market as a high-end dessert wine.
• very good!
• very good too!
• would like to use it for dinner parties.
• Higher-end product and should be marketed as such - against ice wine and after
dinner wines.
• Not as sweet as an ice wine. Nicer to drink. Enjoyed the ciders as an after dinner
drink. 1 bottle = 6 people. We had the ciders before serving coffee and dessert.