Angry Orchard announced the national release of its new seasonal hard cider Angry Orchard Tapped Maple, available now through April. Tapped Maple blends American culinary apples with a hint of maple syrup from Vermont maple trees for a not-too-sweet cider with a big, bright apple taste.

Because cider making follows a seasonal path alongside apple trees and harvest, cider makers are especially tuned into the seasons. At Angry Orchard's Cider House in the Hudson Valley of New York, the cider makers like to play around with adding seasonal ingredients to cider recipes to create unexpected, but seasonally appropriate, flavor combinations. For example, with Angry Orchard Tapped Maple, they took inspiration from the highly-anticipated late-winter tapping of maple trees to make something completely new. The base cider is made from culinary apple juice and is actually quite dry. The maple syrup – rich in flavor and natural maple sweetness – adds a delicate balance, and gives the cider a strong maple-forward aroma, and full, round mouthfeel. It's a great flavor profile for the last days of winter leading into spring's cool start.

Having traveled the world exploring various apple varieties and ingredients and uncovering new processes and techniques, the cider makers at Angry Orchard continue to hone their craft as they develop inventive and refreshing styles for drinkers to experience. The cider industry has made a recent comeback, as drinkers have embraced hard cider as a go-to alternative to beer and wine, and it's carving out its rightful place at the table.

Tapped Maple is now available in 6-packs and the Winter Orchard Sampler Variety Pack nationwide through April 2017. Spiced Apple is available as a limited release in the Winter Orchard Sampler Variety Pack through April 2017. Suggested retail price for a 6-pack is $8.99-9.99, and $15.99 – 18.99 for a variety 12-pack.