Producer: Sailor Spirits
Country: Sweden
Size: 33cl
ABV: 4.5%
Price: 19kr
Systembolaget: 11637
One thing I love about beer and cider is the variation. It is true that there are hundreds of similar products on the market, but when you spot something completely different it can really catch the eye. While I was perusing my local Systembolaget I stumbled upon this cider and I knew I had to have it in the tasting straight away. The reason for that was that it sounded rather… hideous. Saffron can be somewhat of an acquired taste at the best of times, but mixing it with cider sounded like a recipe for something awful that I just had to try. I must now admit though, I was wrong. This was actually rather good, and maybe one of the biggest drink related shocks I’ve had all year.
This was liquid gold in colour, and when I say gold, it really was. This drink was almost shining in fact. Medium bodied with a good carbonation that, this cider formed a light yellow head that naturally went rather quickly. There were big saffron and vanilla aromas present, almost like smelling a fresh lussebulle. There was also a mixture of fruit such soft red apple, pear and orange coming through well too. This was sweeter than most cider I like but it still had a lovely blend of vanilla sweetness along with apple and saffron. There was a minor orange juice edge to it as well. The aftertaste was short but left a small christmas celebration on the tongue.
So, I couldn’t say this would crack my list of favorite ciders of all time, but it’s definitely nowhere near the worst. I wouldn’t be able to drink a lot of it, but for a change of pace this was pleasant. If you want a christmas in a bottle, look no further that this liquid lussebulle. I was expecting a disaster but pleasantly surprised and the low price tag also helped. If you like sweet things and saffron, give it a go!
