Farmgate – Hyslop

Cider Profile:

Name: Farmgate – Hyslop
Sampled May 2021

Brand: Farmgate Cider Type: Apple – Dry Location of Brewing: Carp, ON ABV: 9.5% Website Link: farmgatecider.ca Ingredients: N/A Gluten Free: N/A Sugar Content: N/A Size(s) available: 375ml (bottle) Availability: Farmgate online store + select Ottawa farmers markets Flavour: Apple Colour:  Rusty orange Carbonation: Large streaming bubbles

Cider Crate Tasting Notes:

Smell: Medium aroma. Sweet apple, with vanilla hints. Unique pear smell.
Initial Taste: Minimal bite. Initially a very clean and bright bittersharp apple. Then it builds in acidity and tannic properties, with some sour crab apple-like notes emerging. Vanilla and pear hints.
After Taste: Becomes less clean, more apple peel focused. More dry and gritty. Some acidity that lingers.
On ice: Thinner mouthfeel. Weakened flavours. Less tannic.

Additional Notes:  The Hyslop by Farmgate will surprise you – it smells somewhat sweet but it is a very dry cider. Starting off very clean and bittersharp forward, it becomes acidic, tannic and gritty from the hyslop apples. But they are slightly countered with unique vanilla and pear like notes that emerge. Towards the end it becomes very peel oriented and even drier. Being very different in smell than taste and with a unique apple flavour we cannot recall tasting anywhere else, it is a unique journey worth taking. 

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

Next recommendations:
More Sweet – County – Waupoos Premium Cider
More Sour – Spirit Tree – Crabapple Rose (2019)
More Dry – Kings Mill – Scrumpy
More Crisp – Clafeld – Spy

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