WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Strongbow Hard Apple Ciders has announced that its portfolio of premium hard ciders was awarded four medals at the 2015 World Cider Championships hosted by Tastings.com.
Strongbow Gold Apple and Strongbow Honey received a gold medal in the Common Cider and Specialty Cider categories, respectively, while the brand’s newest flavors, Strongbow Ginger and Strongbow Red Berries, took home a silver medal in the Specialty Cider and Fruit Cider categories.
The World Cider Championships is hosted in collaboration with the World Beer Championships, the nation’s oldest international beer and cider competition. The medal-based competition is open to all commercially produced beers and ciders from around the world and relies on a blind tasting methodology developed by Tastings.com. Beers and ciders are rated on a 100-point quality scale. Those products achieving a score from 90-95 are deemed Gold Medal winners and considered “Exceptional” choices, while products achieving a score from 85-89 are deemed Silver Medal winners and considered “Highly Recommended” options.
Tastings.com issued the following reviews of Strongbow’s award-winning ciders:
92 | Strongbow Gold Apple Hard Apple Cider. Aromas of apple pastry, sliced apple, and light caramel with a supple, bright, effervescent, fruity light-to-medium body and a smooth, interesting, medium-length starfruit, melon, citrus, and minerals finish. A pure, crisp and refreshingly fruity cider.
90 | Strongbow Honey Hard Apple Cider. Aromas of lychee and tropical fruit salad with a supple, tangy, effervescent, fruity sweet light-to-medium body and a smooth, appealing, breezy peach seltzer finish. A very tropical, fruity sweet cider.
88 | Strongbow Red Berries Hard Apple Cider. Aromas of berry sorbet and bubble gum with a supple, effervescent, off-dry light-to-medium body and a smooth, cheery candied citrus finish. A fun, fruity berry flavored cider.
87 | Strongbow Ginger Hard Apple Cider. Aromas of fresh ginger, apple turnover, and honey with a supple, soft, effervescent, fruity light-to-medium body and a brisk ginger beer, yellow apple, starfruit, and minerals finish. A nice delicate, ginger beer like cider.
“It is a great honor to be recognized with Gold Medals for the second year in a row for our Strongbow Gold Apple and Strongbow Honey flavors, as well as our Silver Medals for our newest innovations in the competition, Strongbow Ginger and Strongbow Red Berries,” said Alejandra de Obeso, brand director of Strongbow.
“Receiving these awards from one of the most prestigious competitions in the world is a testament to Strongbow’s 128-year-old expertise in producing high-quality ciders with exceptional recipes and taste,” he said. “We are constantly exploring new ways to surprise our fans and their friends with delicious flavors everyone can enjoy, especially when served over ice. Seeing our ciders do so well in the market, with our consumers, and with taste experts confirms our excitement for the path ahead.”
The full award-winning lineup of Strongbow Hard Apple Ciders can be found in its 12-bottle Variety Pack, which includes three bottles of each flavor and is sold nationally, available year-round.
White Plains, N.Y.-based Heineken USA, a leading upscale beer importer, is a subsidiary of Heineken International BV. European brands imported into the United States include Heineken, Amstel Light and Newcastle, as well as Strongbow cider. Heineken USA also imports the Dos Equis, Tecate, Sol, Indio, Carta Blanca and Bohemia beer brands from Mexico.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.