Wicked Grove Crisp Apple Review: ALDI Exclusive Hard Cider, Tested

I keep a running mental list of grocery store house brands worth a second look, and Wicked Grove Crisp Apple earned its spot on it the first time I grabbed a six-pack on a normal ALDI run and decided to give it a fair shake instead of writing it off as a knockoff. It is ALDI’s own hard cider label, made by a real cidery in Middlebury, Vermont, and Crisp Apple is the flagship flavor in that lineup. I have gone back to it a few times since, mostly on hot afternoons when a heavy IPA feels like too much of a commitment, and it has been consistent every time: light, a little sweet, a little tart, cold and easy to drink.

At a Glance

Who makes Wicked Grove Cider

Wicked Grove is ALDI’s in-house hard cider brand, produced by Wicked Grove Cidery in Middlebury, Vermont and distributed through ALDI Inc. The label leans into a bit of brand mythology: the story goes that an “ancient grove of bewitched apple trees” lies hidden in the Vermont countryside, and that its fruit produced the very first hard, or “wicked,” cider. It is more fun marketing copy than documented history, but Middlebury is real cider country, and the lineup has grown from this original Crisp Apple into Cranberry, Juicy Pear, Pearsecco and a cinnamon variety, all sold exclusively on ALDI shelves.

Because this is a retailer-exclusive brand rather than an independent cidery selling nationwide, you will not find Wicked Grove on Saucey or most other alcohol delivery apps. ALDI is the only place to get it, which is part of why it stays priced where it does. A six-pack runs about $9.99, which food writers have pointed out lands close to two dollars below where a same-size six-pack of Angry Orchard typically sells, and the resemblance in branding and flavor has not gone unnoticed either.

ABV, ingredients and what is actually in the bottle

Crisp Apple sits at 5% ABV, the same strength as most mainstream hard ciders on the market, including Angry Orchard and Original Sin. The ingredient list is short: hard cider, natural flavors, and sulfites to preserve freshness. That is a pretty standard formula for a mass-market cider, fermented apple juice with a bit of flavor adjustment rather than the single-varietal, whole-fruit approach you would get from a small craft cidery. Each 12 fl oz bottle comes in at roughly 210 calories, per the package nutrition facts, which lines up closely with most other 5% ABV ciders of the same size.

There is no IBU listed because cider is not a hopped beverage, so bitterness units simply do not apply the way they would on a beer. If that distinction is new to you and you want the full breakdown of how bitterness gets measured in the beers I review on this site, I cover it in my IBU explainer. The same goes for ABV: if you want to understand how brewers and cider makers actually land on a percentage like 5%, I broke down the math in my ABV Equation piece.

Tasting notes

Crisp Apple pours a clear, pale straw gold with a light, quick-fading white head, about what you would expect from a filtered, lightly carbonated cider. The nose is straightforward apple, more baked apple and apple juice concentrate than fresh-picked orchard fruit, with a faint sweetness up front. On the palate it opens semi-sweet, a good bit of apple candy character, before a mild tartness and light carbonation pull it back toward dry on the finish. It does not have the funk or barrel character you would get from a small-batch cidery, and it is not trying to. This is built to be inoffensive and easy, the kind of drink you hand to someone who says they “do not really like beer” and watch them nod along.

Compared to Busch Light Apple, which is technically an apple-flavored light lager rather than a true cider (I go through that distinction in my Busch Light Apple review), Crisp Apple reads noticeably more like real cider: more apple juice up front, and a cleaner, less beer-adjacent finish. Compared to AppleSaucy, the Saucy Brew Works and Blake’s Hard Cider collaboration I reviewed earlier this year, Wicked Grove is simpler and sweeter with less going on in the glass, which tracks since AppleSaucy is a small-batch collaboration built for cider and beer fans who want more complexity, while Crisp Apple is a grocery-aisle six-pack built for volume and price.

Food pairing

A semi-sweet cider like this one wants food that can stand up to its sweetness without fighting it. Sharp cheddar is the easy call, the saltiness and bite of an aged cheddar plays well against the apple sweetness. I have also had good luck with a soft pretzel and mustard, roast pork or a pulled pork sandwich, and a simple charcuterie board with cured meats. If you want a wider set of ideas for matching food to what is in your glass, I put together a full beer and BBQ pairing guide that has crossover advice for ciders too, since a lot of the same sweet-salty-smoky logic applies.

How it compares to other ciders on the site

If you have been reading my cider reviews, Wicked Grove Crisp Apple lands on the simpler, sweeter end of the lineup. Original Sin Black Widow brings blackberry into the mix with a tart apple finish, which makes it a more layered pour if you want fruit beyond straight apple. Waves Cider Co Pineapple goes in a completely different direction with tropical fruit instead of orchard fruit. If you are just getting into cider and beer generally and want a starting point, my best beer for beginners guide covers approachable picks like this one, plus a few easy-drinking styles worth trying next. And if mulled cider or a warm holiday punch is more your speed once the weather turns, my wassail recipe uses a cider base very similar to this one.

Where to buy it, and what to grab instead if you cannot find it

Wicked Grove Crisp Apple is an ALDI exclusive, so it will not show up on Saucey or most other delivery apps, and I would rather tell you that plainly than send you looking for a dead-end buy link. If you do not have an ALDI nearby, or you want to compare it against the national brands it is clearly positioned against, here are five real, currently available alternatives that land in the same lane, either the same apple-forward style or the same easy-drinking, fruited cider category.

If you want to go a step bigger and boozier while staying in apple territory, Blake’s Hard Cider American Apple is worth knowing about, though it is worth flagging up front that it is an imperial cider at 8% ABV, notably stronger than Wicked Grove’s 5%, so treat it as a different drink rather than a straight swap.

For readers who like the idea of a Wicked Grove style easy-drinking cider but want to branch out into fruit beyond apple, these three fruited ciders are all real, currently available picks from established cideries:

FAQs

What does Wicked Grove Crisp Apple taste like?

It pours a clear pale gold and tastes mostly of baked apple and apple juice concentrate, semi-sweet up front with a mild tart, dry finish from light carbonation. It reads as a straightforward, easy-drinking apple cider rather than a complex, funky small-batch pour.

What is the ABV of Wicked Grove Crisp Apple?

It is 5% ABV, the same strength as most mainstream hard ciders like Angry Orchard and Original Sin.

Does Wicked Grove Crisp Apple have an IBU rating?

No. IBU measures hop bitterness, and cider is not a hopped beverage, so an IBU number is not applicable or listed for this or any true cider.

Where can I buy Wicked Grove Crisp Apple?

It is an ALDI-exclusive hard cider brand, made by Wicked Grove Cidery in Middlebury, Vermont and distributed through ALDI Inc. You will only find it at ALDI stores, it is not sold through Saucey or most other national delivery apps.

How many calories are in Wicked Grove Crisp Apple?

About 210 calories per 12 fl oz bottle, according to the package nutrition facts, which is in line with most other 5% ABV hard ciders at the same size.

Is Wicked Grove Crisp Apple the same as Angry Orchard?

No, they are different brands, but they are frequently compared. Wicked Grove is ALDI’s house cider, typically priced a couple of dollars lower per six-pack, while Angry Orchard is the long-running national cider brand. Both are 5% ABV apple ciders with a similar semi-sweet profile.