West Avenue – Barrett Fuller’s Secret

Cider Profile:

Name: West Avenue – Barrett Fuller’s Secret
Sampled January 2021

Brand: West Avenue Cider House Type: Apple – Barrel Aged Location of Brewing: Flamborough, ON ABV: 9% Website Link: westavenue.ca Ingredients: N/A Gluten Free: Yes Sugar Content: N/A Size(s) available: 750mL (bottle) Availability: West Ave Retail Store Flavour: Apple + bourbon Colour: Transparent golden yellow Carbonation: Infrequently streaming bubbles

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Cider Crate Tasting Notes:

Smell: Strong aroma. Heavy bourbon + astringency. Almond + pastry notes. Light bright apples.
Initial Taste: Medium bite from carbonation with some acidity. Heavy barrel-aging elements including wood/oak, astringency and a smooth but forceful bourbon. Mild heritage apples. 
After Taste: Becomes smoother as astringency weakens. Apples peak through more so. Ends very dry, with bourbon notes lingering. Earthy and wood hints remain.
On ice: Carbonation reduced, along with flavour and forcefulness. Smoother and cleaner.

Additional Notes: West Ave’s Barrett Fuller’s Secret is a force to be reckoned with – it has smooth but full bourbon barrel-aging flavour and presence. Heavy bourbon notes right from the start give you a punch of flavour and astringency that can seriously take the edge off. With mild to medium bright heritage apples, the apples act as a canvas for the spirit aging process elements to shine.  On ice, it makes a very large difference, being much less harsh but with also less flavour and initial intention. 

Rated on a scale of 1-5
Sweet – 1.5
Sour – 2.5
Crisp – 3.5
Dry – 4.5
Fruity – 2.5

Next recommendations:
More Sweet – Shiny – Hank’s Spiced Cider 
More Sour – Loch Mor – Bootlegger (Whisky)
More Dry – Hard Way – Whisky Rebellion
More Crisp – Twin Pines – Hammer Bent Organic Cider

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