A lovely treat for adults (Strongbow Jacques Fruit Cider)

Member Name: CTVicky

Product:	Strongbow Jacques Fruit Cider
Date:	02/09/09 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great smell, taste, great bottle

Disadvantages: People who don't get along with cider should enjoy this in moderation

I will be talking about the Jacques Fruits Des Bois Cider With Fruit. Wow, I feel posh after saying that!

You've also got Jacques Orchard Fruits Cider With Fruit, but I am yet to try it.

I'd first heard of Jacques many months ago when I was working as a secretary and one of my colleagues asked me if I'd tried it. I hadn't a clue what he was talking about; "fruit cider? Isn't all cider made of fruit?" was my incredulous response.

A week after that, I was chatting to a friend on the telephone, and she told me her lodger was going to buy some fruit cider, and she wasn't quite sure about it. I of course had been enlightened by my work colleague, so I told her "apparently it's very nice".

Next thing I know, every time I go round to see her I'm buying her Fruits Des Bois from the off-licence en-route. I would never have any myself, I'd get my usual alcopops. Once, a friend who was working behind the till told me how much she liked Jacques, despite her hatred for regular cider. She was adamant if I tried it, I would love it too.

I'd had bad experiences with cider as a teenager. I don't think it would be necessary for me to elaborate on that. Needless to say, I very rarely touch cider, I'm more of a WKD Blue or Vodka, Lime and Soda kind of girl. Cider is just too strong for me and it gives me terrible hangovers lasting for days.

About seven months after I'd first heard of Jacques (Jakes? Shuhg? Jucks?) I was round a male friend's one night, and all he could offer me to drink was some fruit cider. I decided I might as well give in. It was the Fruits Des Bois of course.

I tentatively took my first sips. I was astonished. It actually wasn't half-bad! I even managed to finish a pint glass worth of the stuff!

Last night, I went round my female friend's (the first one, whose lodger got her 'hooked' on it). I decided I'd buy two for £6.50 from the off-licence. One for my friend and one for me. It saved us money in the end. I sheepishly admitted to the lady at the till that she was correct.

I can say now that I am a Jacques 'convert'. It's only 5.5% so it won't do your liver too much damage. Also, as you take a sip from your glass of the mauve-coloured Fruits Des Bois, it smells like strawberry fromage frais. It's a little like strawberry beer, or Fruli. The Jacques is quite sweet, so it's just right for someone like me, but as I've said, men like it just as much as women!

The bottle is great because it's a lot like a bottle of wine, (it's made of glass and there's French words on it) so you feel a little more sophisticated than if you were carrying a large, plastic "Natch" type bottle around with you.

One thing I will say is that I did feel a little sick after drinking the whole bottle in the morning, so it's probably not something I can enjoy to excess, but as an occasional treat of a glass or two, it works for me!

Summary: Get to know a drink before judging it!