I found myself wandering around the massive cider aisle, marveling at the assortment of ciders and perries, with a wild assortment of flavors and pairings.

Two stood out, both from Crispin Cider Factory of Colfax, Calif. Both came in 22-oz bombers

The Saint is a Crispin Artisinal Reserve hard apple cider made with Belgian Trappist yeast and organic maple syrup. It weighs in at a hefty 6.9 percent. This is an unfiltered cider, so it pours cloudy but don’t let that disturb you because it tastes crisp and clean. The maple syrup gives it a sweet tang at the end.

I followed that with The Bohemian, another Crispin hard apple cider made with pilsner yeast and pure apple juice. That’s it. The result is a 5.8 percent bottle of pure deliciousness. While I liked The Saint, I loved The Bohemian. It’s more complex than The Saint, with a beautiful bright green apple flavor that finishes on an uplifting spicy note.

Let me throw in one more cider that I had recently at an ale fest, and then again a week later on a kayak trip, Island Orchard’s Herbaceous Beast. Yum! Made right here in Door County with apples from Washington Island (hence the Island Orchard name), this dry apple cider is jazzed up through dry-hopping. It weights in at 6.9 percent.