Ernest – Bourbon Vanilla

Cider Profile:

Name: Ernest – Bourbon Vanilla
Sampled January 2021

Brand:  Ernest Cider Co. Type: Flavoured – vanilla and bourbon Location of Brewing: Aurora, ON ABV: 8% Website Link: ernestcider.com Ingredients: N/A Gluten Free: N/A Sugar Content: N/A Size(s) available: 750ml (bottle) Availability: Limited Small Batch – Ernest Online Store Flavour: Bourbon + vanilla Colour:  Translucent sunshine yellow Carbonation: Medium streaming bubbles w/ fine particles

Cider Crate Tasting Notes:

Smell: Medium aroma. Sweet pulpy apple. Woody, strong bourbon notes. Creamy vanilla.
Initial Taste: Minimal bite. Barrel notes are first obvious, on top of the heritage apple notes. Medium bourbon flavours. Mild astringency.
After Taste: Astringency grows, distracts away from apple base for a time. As it dissipates, vanilla really shines and lingers a bit. Dry finish, clean mouthfeel but flavours stays awhile.
On ice: Watered down, you lose considerable bite/astringency. More apple forward. Vanilla the same.

Additional Notes:  Ernest’s Bourbon Vanilla goes down easy. While 8% and the bourbon notes are forward, it is not heavy and has an easy going mouthfeel. A heritage apple base and creamy ending vanilla notes help to balance out the more astringent aspects of this. This is the epitome of small batch cider – a handwritten label, a strong flavour quality and unique experimentation at hand.

Rated on a scale of 1-5
Sweet – 2
Sour – 3
Crisp – 3.5
Dry – 4
Fruity – 2.5

Next recommendations:
More Sweet – Shiny – Hank’s Spiced Bourbon Cider
More Sour – West Avenue – Barrett Fuller’s Secret
More Dry – Loch Mor – Bootlegger (Whisky)
More Crisp – 401 Cider – Apple Pie Cider

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