Rainbows come after the rain. The fall comes after the pride. And with the Hudson North Cider Co’s latest seasonal beverage, the pumpkin comes after the cider.
On a first sip you could be convinced you’re drinking plain apple cider—you’ll have already forgotten about the liquid you just swallowed by the time your taste buds wake up to the pumpkiny tang, that spicy herbal blend that catapults you right back to your middle school’s nearest Starbucks. This is because the apple’s brash sweetness overloads your tastebuds, blunting them to the pumpkin’s more delicate whisper.
But if you listen closely enough, the pumpkin will slowly start to make itself heard.
This subtlety is an asset. While most limited-edition, pumpkin-flavored items tend to overdo the pumpkininess of it all—as if more pumpkin spice will justify the inflated cost of it being a Halloween-themed item—this beverage strikes an unusually effective balance. It’s festive, but not over-the-top. It’s seasonally appropriate, but isn’t the kind of thing that stops being enjoyable after November 1. It’s pumpkiny, but just barely so. And that’s what makes it a great sip for this year’s October 31st.
Overall: 8.1/10
