Judge’s Review: 92 Rating – Heisser Mulled Cider by Kelterei Possman

Cider with Herbs/Spices | Year-Round | Germany

By Nelson Crowle

Judges Rating: 92.00
Aroma: 22.00
Appearance: 5.00
Flavor: 38.00
Mouthfeel: 8.00
Overall Impression: 19.00

This cider was evaluated as a Spiced Cider, C3B in the new BJCP 2025 guidelines. The cider pours a slight hazy deep straw in color with no head and no carbonation. The aroma is a fairly prominent spicy note of cinnamon and particularly clove, with a hint of citrus notes. The first sip is a sweet citrus lemony note followed by medium cloves and a moderate woody cinnamon note. There are medium notes of black tea that go well with the lemon. The spices are prominent with a light red table apple backbone. Tannins are relatively low other than the tea notes and acidity is low, so the sugary sweetness doesn’t have quite enough structural balance.
This is a very refreshing beverage but could benefit from just a bit more malic acidity and tannin. However, if you warmed this up and gave it a slice of orange and a cinnamon stick, this is an excellent mulled cider. You could pair this with a Lemon Cheesecake for dessert, or contrast it with a tart rhubarb pie — in both cases this seems like a dessert cider or a cider to drink warm and mulled. 
Note — After evaluation was complete, and examining the bottle, this is a Mulled Cider, so I heated some up to just below boiling — the spices really pop and the lemon and sweetness counterbalance so I think that serving this hot is the best presentation.