Applewood – Pear and Crabapple

Cider Profile:

Name: Applewood – Pear and Crabapple Cider
Sampled July 2024

Cider Crate Tasting Notes:

Smell: Strong aroma. Bitterness from the crabapple. Bright with some wine-like notes.
Initial Taste: Medium bite from carbonation. Starts with a hint of highly acidic crabapples that quickly transitions into a smoother, more balanced offering with some semi-smooth caramelized – but mostly dry – pear. Some tannins and natural bitterness.
After Taste: Crabapples reduce leaving a long lasting pear finish.  Has some caramelized notes that linger alongside some fermentation elements. Tannin and bitterness sits.
On ice: Reduced mouthfeel. Pear less caramelized.

Additional Notes:  Applewood Winery’s Pear and Crabapple cider is their primary offering available through the winery in Port Perry.  A blend that starts off crabapple forward, and finishes with pear.  It’s a long-lasting cider with some tannic elements as well.  Fermentation notes linger in the mouth.  Softer than most ciders with crabapple in them.  Sugars from pear gives it a bit of sweetness, but it still leans more dry overall.

Rated on a scale of 1-5
Sweet – 2.5
Sour – 3
Crisp – 4
Dry – 3.5
Fruity – 4

Next recommendations:
More Sweet – County – Pear Flavoured Cider
More Sour – Spirit Tree – Crabapple Rose 
More Dry – West Avenue – Bartletts Fuller Secret
More Crisp – Chudleigh’s – Golden Russet Cider

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