I have been disappointed with some of the brands available in supermarkets, but love the cider from Carlson Orchard in Harvard, MA, which is carried by Roche Brothers, Lucci’s, and many farmstand stores. I am at a loss to describe the flavor difference other than to say that the other ciders I’ve had from supermarkets taste like they are part cider, part apple juice, while Carlson’s seems more like small-batch, fresher cider, even though it’s pasteurized.
Though they close for the season on Thanksgiving Day, the cider at Dowse’s apple farm on Rt. 27 in Sherborn is sublime.
They pasturize with ultraviolet light so the cider is not heated, and flavor is not changed.
Too late for this year but keep it in mind if you are out that way next fall.
Its worth it.
If I had my druthers, I’d always have unpasteurized cider from New Hampshire . But that’s impractical for me, so Carlson’s a good, readily-available, fallback.
