I recently received a mix of mostly imperial ciders from Blake’s Hard Ciders, four in all, representing each of the companies under the Blake’s umbrella: Blake’s itself, Avid Cider, and Austin Eastciders. The pitch for these particular ciders is Valentine’s Day themed:

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and no matter how you choose to celebrate, go BIG with Imperial Hard Ciders that are sure to warm up the winter holiday. From semi-sweet, to sweet heat, American-made apple cider has enough variety to satisfy every taste. These four cider options from across the country are our selections for Valentine’s Day. While they range in taste, all share a BIG commitment to flavor.

It’s a fun idea as an alternative or complement to the traditional beery Valentine’s suggestions (chocolate stout, fruit lambics, etc.). The four ciders are:

• Blake’s American Apple Imperial Cider – Part of Blake’s core lineup, this is a straightforward, semi-sweet cider that’s 8% alcohol by volume. It strikes me as a great starter cider for this set of four, before you start getting into the fruits and flavors of the others.
• Blake’s Watermelon Heatwave – This limited-edition cider isn’t really imperialized, with 6.5% ABV, but it’s crafted with watermelon and a bit of chili pepper for a spicy kick. The website indicates the spice level is “medium” but I’m sure your mileage may vary.
• Avid Blueberry Pom Imperial – The newest in Avid’s imperial series, with 8.5% ABV. I’ve received this before and reviewed it here.
• Austin Imperial Tropical Punch – Austin Eastciders is entirely new to me, so I’m definitely curious about this Tropical Punch. It’s 8.3% ABV, and takes the company’s base imperial cider and blends in “a combination of fresh tropical fruit including passion fruit, orange, and guava.”

I’m a little surprised there’s not a chocolate cider promoted, such as this Cheri Cordial from Blake’s, but we work with what we have.