Nat West and Reverend Nat are similar in one respect: they’re both blunt and outspoken. West has criticized some cideries for using what he thinks are debased methods of making cider. Despite his own inventive methods used for getting around his geographical and industrial constraints to either make up for, or highlight, the region's compromised state of agriculture in apples, he decries the use of apple juice concentrate to make cider, which he says is always a compromise.

“In practice, this means that the cheapest possible way to make cider is to use 8% apple juice concentrate from the cheapest source (China), 8% government-subsidized and GMO high fructose corn syrup, and 84% water,” he says.

[Editor's note: This is a common refrain from West, and indeed, China is becoming a massive supplier of apples to the international market and its industrial—and sometimes craft—cider makers. Other large-scale cider makers like Angry Orchard, the subject of so much industry subtweeting, continue to happily source their apples and concentrate from traditional Western European sources (the only place on earth with the quantities they require) and skip the additives West describes. But like a true Reverend, West knows the value of a "big bad" in the storyline, and it's a storyline we've seen play out quite effectively in craft beer's early days as well. -Michael Kiser]

This conforms to the company’s language about quality and craftsmanship, but it rubs some people the wrong way—particularly because West breaks so many other rules when he makes his cider. Why is it kosher to add sugar to Providence and Envy, but wrong to add it to ciders made with juice concentrate? How can anyone who uses ghost chilies, coffee, and carrot juice make claims about purity?