Are ciders sweet?

Not always. Cider ranges from bone dry to dessert-sweet. BJCP sets five levels by residual sugar: dry below 0.4%, semi-dry or off-dry 0.4–0.9%, medium 0.9–2%, semi-sweet 2–4%, and sweet above 4%. Acidity, tannin and bubbles change how sweet a cider tastes, so the label is only a guide.

Updated 2026-10-20

Key facts

Five levels. Dry, semi-dry (off-dry), medium, semi-sweet (medium-sweet), sweet. [1]
Up to dessert wine. Residual sugar can reach 10% or more in the sweetest examples. [1]
Perception matters. Acidity, tannin and carbonation shift how sweet a cider seems. [1]

What are the cider sweetness levels?

BJCP gives approximate residual sugar (RS) and final gravity (FG) bands: [1]

Level	Residual sugar	Final gravity	How it tastes
Dry	below 0.4%	under 1.002	no perceived sweetness
Semi-dry / off-dry / medium-dry	0.4–0.9%	1.002–1.004	hint of sweetness, mainly dry
Medium	0.9–2.0%	1.004–1.009	sweetness is a notable part of the balance
Semi-sweet / medium-sweet	2.0–4.0%	1.009–1.019	sweet but still refreshing
Sweet	above 4.0%	over 1.019	like a dessert wine, not syrupy

BJCP stresses these numbers help entry decisions; tasters should not rely on RS alone. [1] To choose a sweet bottle, see which cider is sweetest.

Which styles are usually dry or sweet?

In BJCP, English cider is restricted to dry through semi-sweet, French cider to medium through sweet, and Spanish cider to dry through medium. [2] Common Cider, made from table apples, may be entered at any sweetness level. [2] French label words (extra brut, brut, demi-sec, doux) are reserved terms under décret n° 2025-162, in force since 1 July 2025; extra brut, the driest, requires at least 5% ABV and a density below 1.013 at 20 °C. [3] They are explained in what is dry cider and which cider is sweetest.

Related answers: what is dry cider · what is sweet cider

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Questions

What does off-dry mean?

BJCP uses semi-dry, also called medium-dry or off-dry, for 0.4–0.9% residual sugar: a hint of sweetness, but the cider still tastes mainly dry. [1]

Can sweetness hide faults?

Yes — BJCP notes that sweetness can mask faults, while dry ciders show them more easily. [1]

Sources

2025 BJCP Cider Style Guidelines (v2) — Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP)
C1. Traditional Cider (2025) — Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP)
Décret n° 2025-162 du 20 février 2025 (cidres et poirés) — Légifrance