Raspberry Discovery by ClubGonzo, Cider, ABV 4.7%.
This is the same cider as the Øystese Discovery, with the slight modification of some raspberries in the fermenter.
Raspberry Discovery aka. Cider Batch 02.
The raspberries definitely is evident visually: the body is hazy and medium red, what a lovely colour! You might argue that it would have looked more elegant with a bit more subtle red colour, but I like it. Interestingly the light pink fizzy head forms a fully lasting bubbly ring at the walls of the glass. Why? Proteins from the raspberries? Anyway, it makes the cider look even more interesting.
Raspberry Discovery in the glass.
The aroma is quite strong and very pleasant. I get a lovely mix of tart apples and overripe raspberries and a lambic-like acidic scent, but also some sweetness. Interesting!
The taste has the same moderate to heavy acidity as the non-raspberrified version, but somehow it feels more fitting when accompanied by raspberry flavours. The raspberries are most evident initially, then sweet apples take over (note: flavours of sweet apples, the taste is very acidic). I also get notes of lemon and some cherries in the back, I guess it’s the acidity and the raspberries that fool me. The finish is moderate dry, the carbonation is moderate and the body is quite light.
Conclusion: the raspberries was a really good idea! It’s still too acidic, though.
Aroma: 7/10 Appearance: 4/5 Taste: 6/10 Palate: 3/5 Overall: 10/20 Ratebeer score: 3.0/5.0
Beer With Me 
So an OG of 1010 is not sweet enough for you? 😉 This was bottle-pasteurized to prevent it from dropping too low on sweetness, and I thought it was pretty perfect. In fact, this cider-raspberry blend has been my overall most critically acclaimed version so far. Don’t you just find the acidity sooo refreshing and more-ish? Maybe you should get some commercial ciders from Vinmonopolet for comparison? (note: the stuff they sell in the grocery store isn’t cider, it’s alco pop…) Anyhow, next autumn I will buy more lovely fresh-pressed apple juice and experiment more; a higher FG is one of the things I want to try, but with an OG of 1044 anything above 15 FG will probably be very close to apple juice… 😛 If you get the chance, I do recommend that you buy fresh, unpasteurized apple juice directly from orchards at some point – it’s just completely mindblowing! 🙂
FG (I assume) of 1010? Really? My last homebrew ended up in that ballpark, and that tastes so much sweeter. But it’s not necessarily the lack of sweetness that I don’t like, the commercial ciders I like the best are really dry (e.g. the Val de Rance IGP Bretagne Cidre Bouché Brut, which I buy regularly), but I’ve never had a cider as acidic as the ones you make. Have you? I agree that a little tartness is good for the drinkability, but it shouldn’t give me severe stomach pains after a couple of sips! The apple/raspberry mix however was really lovely, I found the aroma and the flavour very nice indeed! If you make that combo again and end up with more sweetness, it will be a winner!
By the way, do you have full control of the pasteurising? I mean, could it be that the bottle I got had continued fermenting to a lower FG? If so, will this produce extra acidity, in addition to increased dryness and reduces sweetness?