Shale Ridge – Purple Rain

Cider Profile:

Name: Shale Ridge – Purple Rain Hard Cider
Sampled August 2025

Brand: Shale Ridge Estate Winery & Cidery Inc Type: Flavoured – Botanical Location of Production: Thorold, ON ABV: 5% Website Link: shaleridgeestatewinery.com Ingredients: Cider, butterfly pea flower powder, chamomile tea, natural peach flavour, natural lavender flavour, sulphites Gluten Free: Yes Sugar Content: N/A Size(s) available: 473ml (can) Availability: Shale Ridge retail + online store Flavour: tea + peach + lavender Colour: Transparent deep royal purple Carbonation: Mixed streaming bubbles

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Cider Crate Tasting Notes:

Smell: Strong aroma. Creamy and candied peach + floral. Lavender hints.
Initial Taste: Light bite from carbonation. A quick candied peach. Strong, creamy chamomile. Clean dessert apple.
After Taste: An uplifting, soft floral lavender emerges. Peach remains strong. Creamy base – likely from apples and chamomile. Long lingering peach + chamomile notes.
On ice: Minimal change – slightly reduced body.

Additional Notes: Shale Ridge’s Purple Rain is a delightful and vivid purple cider that has a strong, creamy flavour and base. Throughout, you get a candied, fleshy peach, reminiscent of their Peach Apple Cider. But adding to this, is a bold creamy chamomile that adds body and flavour. A clean dessert apple is also there. The lavender is soft and floral, not herby and punchy like in other ciders. Has a long lasting flavour profile. Sweet, but not overly sugary.

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

Next recommendations:
More Sweet – Shiny – Strawberry Chamomile
More Sour – Coffin Ridge – Earl Grey Lavender Pear
More Dry – Crimson – Lavender Buds
More Crisp – Thornbury – Peach Apple

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