Fruit aromas and flavours:
- Bittersweet apple: may be described as low, heavy, or thick; fruity note characteristic of traditional cider apples, like the non-woody smell under apple trees
- Berry fruits: strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blackcurrant
- Culinary apple: fresh, acidic, high fruity notes, like Granny Smith apple
- Citrus fruit: lemon, grapefruit, orange, orange peel
- Pear: fresh, ripe pear
- Dried fruit: raisins, sherry-like (possibly even nutty), prunes, dried figs, strawberry jam
- Summer/stone fruits: peach, plum
Herbaceous aromas and flavours:
- Grassy: fresh-cut grass, fresh green leaves
- Elderflower: like elderflowers (herbaceous, not floral); can be "catty" at high concentrations (not necessarily a bad thing)
- Vegetative: like vegetables; at low levels, may add positive complexity, but a high concentrations it can be sulfury and unpleasant
- Hay/straw: hay, straw, dried, grass, dried leaves
- Nutty: brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, marzipan
- Mousy: cider disorder caused by lactic acid bacteria; smells and tastes like the bottom of a rodent's den
Sweet aromas & flavours
- Caramel: burnt sugar, toffee, molasses
- Butterscotch: buttery, diacetyl; in moderation and in certain regional styles it contribues to flavor, but can be unpleasant in large concentrations
- Vanilla: vanilla, custard
- Syrupy: maple syrup
- Honey: honey!
- Confectionary: candy, bubblegum, fruit-flavored candy
Spicy/woody aromas and flavours
- Spicy: cloves, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, licorice, cinnamon
- Woody: seasoned wood, resinous, cedarwood, fresh sawdust, woodchips, fir needles; oaky like Chardonnay
- Phenolic: smoky, wood fires, tar, medicinal, leathery
- Moldy/musty: unpleasant smell sometimes compared to damp cardboard or sherry; due to oxidation of over-filtration