Wild Hare Hard Cider

Great place in an old barn in a cute little village. Small enterprise, but they make really good cider in interesting styles. The person who poured for us was very knowledgeable and engaging. They have a great logo with really cute T-​shirts, too! Poke your head in the general store a block away while you’re there.

Wow! My boyfriend and I stopped here because we were in the area. Normally, we wouldn’t stop at a cider place because we’re used to it being way too sweet and we are craft beer people. The sign intrigued us and we got a recommendation, so we went. So glad we did. This place is amazing. Fantastic service, fantastic atmosphere, and fantastic cider. Hopscotch and Ophelia are to die for!!! We are already planning on returning next weekend.

A group of three of us visited last Saturday. It was a rainy, gloomy day — perfect for sampling craft ciders!
They had six ciders to sample that day — and so we tried them all:
— Hatch
— Windrush
— Hopscotch
— Rocket
— Revelry
— Ophelia
Americans are so used to commercial ciders that are loaded with extra sugar and overly sweet. That is NOT what you will experience here. All of the ciders we sampled were crisp, tart, dry — almost like drinking a sparking wine or champagne. I like ciders like that — you are really tasting more of the Apples. And speaking of Apples — Wild Hare uses Virginia grown apples for their ciders. I like that — locally grown Apples for locally brewed cider!
I enjoyed 5 of the 6 ciders — and the Hopscotch was my favorite. It actually has Hops in it — as in Hops used in brewing beer. It’s a well executed usage — it does not detract from the cider or get in the way of the Apples, in fact I felt like it enhanced the overall flavor profile of the cider.
The only cider that did not resonate with my palate was the Ophelia. There was a citrus aspect to it that was at odds with my taste buds.
The young lady pouring our ciders was very knowledgable and friendly and answered all of our questions.
Great place to come and try out Virginia ciders!

I’m not especially a cider guy, but it’s still a form of booze thus I must sample it. Overall I’m glad I did.
Their ciders trend towards the dry side, which is my preference as well. They have a tiny hole on the wall serving room; not exactly a picnic location but they do have a table you can sit down at.
What I tried:
Hopscotch: Smelled like hop & grapefruit, tasted like apple. My favorite of the bunch
Rocket: 2% residual sugar, heavy nose and lots of apple on the palate.
Hatch: Very dry, little tart.
Windrush: Describe like a ‘chardonnay’ although I’m not quite sure how that is. Not bad but not my favorite.
Olphelia: Grapefruit nose, very creamy palate.
Harvest Moon: Tasted of hibiscus and juniper. It was… odd to me. I didn’t dislike it but it was definitely one of those drinks which a one-​off.
Rebelry: Color of strawberry but infused with black pepper, honeysuckle and cherry mash. Just OK; definitely least favorite.

We stopped here after a visit to Dirt Farm brewery, as it’s pretty close by. We were so glad we did!
It’s a very small space, with only one table that will seat about 8. The counter had room for 6, but it was crowded. The gentleman who was doing the tastings was very knowledgeable and really friendly. He was the only one there, so people who arrived after us had a lengthy wait.
There were 6 different ciders to try and they were all very good! We bought three bottles to take home. I’m sure we will be back for more!

Small store/​brewery but novel taste and excellent customer service. Most ciders are very sweet; Wild Hare cider is not. Also, if you taste the cider and end up buying a bottle, they waive the tasting fee.

If you’re costing Bluemont, be sure to stop at Wild Hare. The cider is dry and delicious, and the staff is super knowledgeable and engaging. Plus, they have coloring pages. What else could you want?

The scene is Labor Day, after having a not so great experience with both a winery AND a brewery up the street, we saw a sign that said: Wild Hare Hard Cider-​Open. 4 of us walk in to a big hearty hello and a refreshing smile asking us if we want to try some cider. Somehow I walk away $ 100 poorer with 6 bottles of cider and a shirt, and I don’t even usually like cider!
That’s exactly what happened yesterday and I am 100% OK with it! :)
WHHC is a small store front with moving walls, minimalistic décor, a large rabbit mascot, a fantastic product, and great employees.
The Bluemont area is lucky to have them!

Full disclosure: This is my first review… (Hopefully not my last) but I love supporting local businesses… So here she goes. Stopped by last week for their «soft opening».
Venue: It’s a very small tasting room… But the owners did a great job of making the best of the space. Cool mural on wall… Lots of reclaimed barn wood. The bar was handmade and really well done. Don’t expect to be able to fit 20 people in at one time… But great intimate little space for about 8 to 10 at a time. Spoke to the owners and they have big plans moving forward… I’d expect In a couple of years they will open up some additional space. Really hope that’s the case, because I suspect they will do monster amounts of business in the fall months as families trek out to the wineries or Great Country Farms.
Cider: Outstanding. They sampled 2 varieties. One was a semi-​dry cider and another was aged over wood barrels (as I recall). As they get their bearings, I’m told more varieties are to come. For now, they are focusing on these 2 and for good reason. Both are far superior to any off the shelf hard cider or apple beverage. Don’t expect an overly sweet product like Redds apple ale or wood chuck. It’s semi-​dry, not overly sweet… Multiple layers to it. Light and refreshing. Really enjoyable. I’d recommend pouring into a small brandy style glass and just enjoying it. One side note… Currently they cap the cider with a metal cap… Just personal preference… But I think capping with a champagne-​style cork/​wire would make for a better bottle presentation.
Cost: Its not cheap. Average cost about $ 15 a bottle. But I’d classify as «affordable luxury»… A high end product that everyone can afford… Even if it’s a bit more. They do cut a discount if you buy a whole case. I understand the price point as they are doing this on such a small scale. I would imagine as they ramp up production over next few years, they could lower cost a dollar or two through gained efficiencies. But, again… Affordable luxury.
Bottom line: If you are out that way… Definitely stop in and pick up a bottle or two. If you’re doing a winery tour through the area or headed to Great Country Farms for the day… Put this on your agenda for a quick stop. Well worth it.

They offer Hatch, a dry cider, and Windrush, a dry cider aged in oak and chestnut staves. Both were very good. They offer free tastings on the weekends. They have cheese and oyster crackers to go with the cider. The bottles are currently $ 14 but they’re going to $ 16 shortly. The owners are very nice and eager to share their story. Nice place, glad we stopped in to check it out.