Spirit Tree – Estate Reserve (2019)

Cider Profile:

Name: Spirit Tree – Estate Reserve (2019)
Sampled May 2021

Brand: Spirit Tree Cider Co.  Type: Apple – Dry Location of Brewing: Caledon, ON ABV: 8.5% Website Link: spirittreecider.com Ingredients: N/A Gluten Free: Yes Sugar Content: N/A Size(s) available: 750ml (bottle) Availability: Spirit Tree online + retail store Flavour: Apple Colour:  Transparent sunshine yellow Carbonation: Small, semi-streaming bubbles

Cider Crate Tasting Notes:

Smell: Medium aroma. Bright apples amongst tannic, funky apple notes. Earthy hints.
Initial Taste: Minimal bite from carbonation and acidity. Bright, slightly acetic apples that are tannic and rustic. Some bitterness and a mild astringency. Medley of apple varieties. Effervescence.
After Taste: Apples remain the same but become slightly more funky in nature. Earthy notes with hints of oak. Mostly clean finish with some mild tannic residue. 
On ice:  Carbonation reduced, body thinner. No change in taste.

Additional Notes:  The 2019 Vintage of Spirit Tree’s Estate Cider is a milder than expected cider drinking experience that still has a lot of the expected estate cider elements. Tannic and mostly dry, there is a bright medley of apple varieties present here, but they present lighter than you many anticipate. Its a good starter cider into estate ciders that have tannic/heritage/estate varieties. Would pair well with food as it would not interrupt the flavours much. 

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

Next recommendations:
More Sweet – Busl – Aurum Apple Cider
More Sour – West Avenue – Spontaneity
More Dry – FieldBird – 2018 Sur Lie Perry
More Crisp – Duxbury – Five Metre Scrum

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