Revel – Bittersweet Freedom

Cider Profile:

Name:  Revel Cider Co – Bittersweet Freedom
Sampled January 2019

Brand: Revel Cider Company Type: Apple – Dry Location of Brewing: Guelph, ON ABV: 6.1 Website Link: revelcider.com Ingredients: N/A Gluten Free: Yes Sugar Content: N/A Size(s) available: 500mL (bottle) Availability: Revel Online store and Better Beverage Bars Flavour: Crab Apple Colour: Cloudy orange Carbonation: Tiny, frequently streaming bubbles. A lot of foam on the top and especially when poured

Cider Crate Tasting Notes:
Smell: Strong aroma. Sour, tannic and astringent. Mild vinegar notes.
Initial Taste: Mild bite from acidity. Smooth blend of apple flavours – especially the peel flavours. Strong tannic presence. Medium sour levels. Mild spice notes from the brett. Slight astringency.
After Taste: Becomes even more smooth, with apple flavours continuing. Becomes less sour and more tangy in nature. Creamy, dry finish. Somewhat gritty in the mouth.
On ice: Carbonation and flavour is reduced. Less gritty and even smoother mouth feel.

Additional Notes: Bittersweet Freedom is another incredibly unique and well-crafted cider from Revel, that surprised us in a few ways. We thought it would it would be more sour than it was, being made from crab apples – but it was smoother and creamier than you’d expect. As well, the added brett made it very carbonated and gave it a similar mild spice profile and mouth feel you get in saison beers. There is a lot of sediment in the bottle so don’t be afraid of some funk!

Rated on a scale of 1-5
Sweet – 3.5
Sour – 3.5
Crisp – 1.5
Dry – 4
Fruity – 3

Next recommendations:
More Sweet – Windswept Perennial 
More Sour – Kings Mill – Scrumpy
More Dry – Empire – Midnight Run
More Crisp – Collective Arts – Honey and Lavender 

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