Boxing Brother February 2020 Visit

February 24, 2020 Mike

It’s been quite awhile since we visited Boxing Brothers Cider House, for the site we haven’t visited since they were known as “Colorado Common”, although I’ve had a chance to drop in when the local homebrew club held a meeting there.

[Jesse]
Unlike Mike, I had not had a chance to visit since the rebranding remodel and I have to say, it is a much more inviting space. It had been a bit “utilitarian” but now it’s more a space where I would want to sit, relax, read a book or chat with friends.

[Mike] As is the usual, we had some pretty great ciders, and the wait staff is very helpful and attentive, so it was a very enjoyable visit. This time around, our group was few in number, just Jesse, Bill and I.

Cherry Chipotle “Burning Love” Fruited Hard Cider – 5% ABV

This cider really blew me away. I can’t say that I’ve had any other beverages with Chipotle peppers (smoked jalapenos in adobo sauce). The cherry flavor had all but dissipated since this was tapped, but the smokey flavor and chipolte spiciness was well worth having a glass or two of it.

I was so impressed, I asked if they could tell me how much chipotle peppers they used, and was very surprised when the cider-tender went back to ask and came back with the information (3oz per 15 gallons).

Bulldog – Dry Cider – 6%

This is described as a traditional dry English pub cider, which is an apt description. I believe tannins contributed to the dry finish, crisp and flavorful, it was just delicious.

I had made some Dry English cider, and it’s different that the ciders we’re used to, which usually get back sweetened, and this was close to what I ended up with, so I must be on the right track.

Holiday Orange Spiced Cider – Seasonal – 5%

I would venture to say that if you’re a fan of Belgian beers, this is a cider you just may enjoy. The overall flavor profile reminded me of a dubbel or Belgian holiday ale.

While the orange is the dominant flavor in this cider, the “holiday” part of the name is undeniable. There is a definite clove presence, along with notes of nutmeg and cinnamon.

Fireside – Seasonal – 6%

I was in the mood to have a more traditional English cider as my second, but this one sounded very intriguing to me. After I was offered a taste, I decided to have the traditional cider some other time. This one was quite tasty.

The description of this beer from the web page is: “This semi-sweet cider is mulled cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, almost like an apple pie.” and that sums it up pretty much perfectly.

The “apple pie” spices are very noticeable against the primary apple flavor. One thing to note is that I was afraid this was going to be cloyingly sweet after a full pint, but it’s just dry enough to prevent that from happening.

The name of this cider is perfect as well. I could definitely conjure up images of sitting in front of a roaring fire on a cold winters night sipping on a glass of this.

Here are the ciders we’ve enjoyed here: