Cider sweetness: from dry to sweet
By Cider Radar · Updated
Cider sweetness runs from dry, with little or no sugar left after fermentation, through semi-dry and semi-sweet to sweet. Sweetness comes from sugar that the yeast did not ferment or from juice or sugar added later. Acidity, tannin and bubbles change how sweet a cider tastes, so read the label and taste.
Where does sweetness in cider come from?
Yeast feeds on the sugar in apple juice. If fermentation runs to the end, the cider is dry. It stays sweet when fermentation stops early — for example by chilling, filtering or, traditionally, by keeving — or when the maker adds juice, sugar or another sweetener before bottling (back-sweetening).
What do dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet and sweet mean?
These are steps on one scale. In the Cider Radar app, tasters rate sweetness as dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, semi-sweet/sweet or sweet. Labels use similar words: brut, demi-sec and doux on French cidre; dry, medium and sweet on many English-language labels.
There is no single worldwide rule for how much sugar each word allows: it depends on the country and sometimes on the producer, so treat label words as a guide.
Why does a dry cider sometimes taste sweet?
Taste is about balance. High acidity and tannin make a cider taste drier; ripe, fruity aromas and a fuller body can make it seem sweeter than it is. Bubbles and serving temperature change the impression too.
How do I choose a cider by sweetness?
Start with the label word, then use tasting notes from other drinkers. In the Cider Radar app you can scan a label to open the bottle card with tasting notes and community ratings. See how to describe cider taste for the other scales.