The Best Hard Cider Brands: Our Taste Test Results

Find out which brands were delicious and which tasted like "cigar smoke."
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Unfortunately for fans of hard cider, bars around the country don't generally carry a good variety of ciders. This leaves us fending for ourselves at the store when it's time to invest in a six-pack, which wouldn't necessarily be such a bad thing if all ciders were created equal. But trust us, they're not.

Our editors conducted a blind taste test of 14 brands of hard cider, ranking them in order from best to worst (and we also took note of prices for you). The best were described as sweet, complex and bubbly, while the worst ranged from "apple cider vinegar" to "like cigar smoke." Check out our slideshow below to find out how they ranked.

As always, this taste test was in no way sponsored or influenced by the products involved.

Hard Cider Taste Test, 2012
#1: Crispin "The Saint": Belgian Trappist Yeast and Maple Syrup(01 of13)
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$10/22-oz. bottleComments: "Beer-like, and I love the subtle maple flavor." "Intense fruitiness, no detectable alcohol taste." "Tastes like a Belgian beer with a slight apple taste." "I love the bubbles! Nicely sweet, a little bitter." (credit:Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post)
#2: Woodpecker(02 of13)
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$1.50/12-oz. bottleComments: "Standard." "Light and easy. I would bring this on a picnic." "Good, solid cider." "This is pretty much what I want in an everyday drinking cider." (credit:Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post)
#3: J.K's Scrumpy(03 of13)
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$7/22-oz. bottleComments: "So complex and deep-flavored." "So interesting. Should be sickeningly sweet but really nice and complex." "This is a more complicated cider, but it's too sweet." "Pretty apple-y, a little sweet, but pleasant." (credit:Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post)
#4: Woodchuck Amber(04 of13)
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$2/12-oz. bottleComments: "There's a slight hint of bitterness to differentiate this from juice, but it's still drinkable and delicious." "Started weird, then got quite pleasant." "Tastes like you'd expect cider to taste." "Nicely balanced, very apple-y." (credit:Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post)
#5: Woodchuck Summer(05 of13)
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$2/12-oz. bottleComments: "Wow this is SO GOOD. Sweet and almost peachy." "Very sweet and floral, like spumone." "Super sweet and pear-like." "Sweeter than most ciders. Delightfully fruity. Is this mixed with other fruit?" "Way too sweet. Kind of beery?" (credit:Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post)
#6: Angry Orchard(06 of13)
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$2/12-oz. bottleComments: "Juicy, sweet and tart." "Sweet, thick and honey-like." "Nice and dark, feels like a beer -- in a good way." "Tastes like you're biting into a crisp, tart apple." "Kind of tastes like fake apple. Not in love." (credit:Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post)
#7: Samuel Smith's(07 of13)
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$10/22-oz. bottleComments: "Not super apple-y but not too vinegary either (which is a good thing)." "Nicely balanced and complex." "Thin but fine." "Very, very mild flavor. Why??" "I love this one. This tastes like fall and happiness." (credit:Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post)
#8: Newtown Pippin(08 of13)
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$10/22-oz. bottleComments: "Perfectly neutral and Champagne-like." "Strangely bland, like a bad pinot grigio." "Almost astringent, would be great in a cocktail." "It almost tastes like Champagne." "Oddly tart. Eh." (credit:Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post)
#9: Harpoon(09 of13)
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$2/12-oz. bottleComments: "Too tart!" "Smells sweet, tastes extremely sour, like bottled lime juice." "A tinge of apple." "Has this gone sour?" "Love the tartness! A little bitter though." (credit:Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post)
#10: Julian(10 of13)
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$13/22-oz. bottleComments: "Is this bubbly vinegar? It basically tastes like apple cider vinegar, it is too fermented." "Unpleasant smoky taste, like cigar smoke." "Tart." "It's just not that pleasant." "NO NO NO I HATE YOU." (credit:Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post)
#11: Doc's Draft(11 of13)
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$10/22-oz. bottleComments: "NO. This tastes like poison and plastic." "This smells horrible but the tastes isn't too bad." "Is this piss water?" "REALLY vinegary smell. This is almost kambucha." (credit:Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post)
#13: Crispin "Lansdown": Irish Stout and Molasses(12 of13)
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$10/22-oz. bottleComments: "Yuck! I do not want to drink molasses." "Not quite as bad as it smells." "Too rich and viscous." "This is maybe the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted." "The brown color of this is stressing me out. I hate the smell, hate the taste. Why do we have to drink this?" (credit:Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post)
#12: Magners(13 of13)
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$2/12-oz. bottleComments: "Tastes like formaldehyde." "I don't care for this." "For having such a beautiful rich orange color, it's a little lacking in flavor." "At first I loved it, but then it was a little bland. Smells weird." (credit:Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post)

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Before You Go

Sweet And Savory Apple Recipes
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Shaved Apple Salad With Manchego Cheese And Almonds(02 of50)
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Apple Bread Pudding(03 of50)
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Apple Strudel(04 of50)
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Chicken With Apples And Cider(05 of50)
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Pork Loin Chops With Apple, Sage And Onion Tarts(06 of50)
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Salted Caramel Apple Pie(07 of50)
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Apple Butter Ice Cream With Ginger-Chocolate Ganache(09 of50)
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Maple-Apple Upside-Down Cake(13 of50)
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Apples, cooked down in maple syrup, create the pretty topping that you'll see once the cake is turned upside-down. This autumnal dessert is destined to become a classic.Get the Recipe for Maple-Apple Upside-Down Cake (credit:Con Poulos/Food & Wine)
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Apple Pie Muffins(19 of50)
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Crab, Apple And Watercress Salad With Walnut Vinaigrette(20 of50)
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Pork Tenderloin With Onions, Apples And Cabbage (22 of50)
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Pear And Apple Crisp With Oat Streusel(23 of50)
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Warm Lentil Salad With Sausage And Apple(24 of50)
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Mom's Apple Squares(25 of50)
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Apple Confit(26 of50)
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Apple-Pork Ragu With Papardelle (27 of50)
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Apple Salad With Raisins And Blue Cheese(28 of50)
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Caramelized Apple Clafoutis(29 of50)
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Apple-And-Fennel Roasted Pork Tenderloin(30 of50)
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Apple-Cinnamon Fruit Bars(31 of50)
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Beet-And-Apple Salad(32 of50)
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Apple Cupcakes With Cinnamon-Marshmallow Frosting(33 of50)
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Apple Squash Mash(35 of50)
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Frangipane Apple Tart With Apricot Glaze(40 of50)
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Roasted Apple And Cheddar Salad(42 of50)
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