West Avenue – Genevieve

Cider Profile:

Name: West Avenue – Genevieve
Sampled January 2021

Brand:  West Avenue Cider House Type: Apple – Gin Botanical Location of Brewing: Freelton, ON ABV: 8.9% Website Link: westavenue.ca Ingredients: N/A Gluten Free: Yes Sugar Content: N/A Size(s) available: 355ml (can) Availability: West Ave Online + Retail Store Flavour: Apple, gin botanicals, lactose Colour:  Translucent golden rod yellow Carbonation: Large, infrequently streaming bubbles

Cider Crate Tasting Notes:

Smell: Medium aroma. Gin aspects like juniper and pine. Tannic apples. Punchy.
Initial Taste: Light bite from acidity. Quick tannic heritage apples that are heavy and thick. Smooth juniper and pine. Crisp grapefruit and lemon elements.
After Taste: Apples notes diminish, while gin botanical notes linger a bit longer. Ends on some creamy lactose elements.
On ice: Less carbonation. Lessened punchiness of elements.

Additional Notes:  The Genevieve by West Ave is a special cider made with lactose and gin botanicals, so if you are sensitive to dairy/lactose, you may want to sit this one out. This is a much heavier flavour wise cider upfront, with a lot happening in the initial taste. With a shorter flavour profile, you do get a lot going on for what is there. The gin botanicals are punchy and full bodied with grapefruit, juniper and pine notes, but still smoother than many other gin barrel-aged ciders. The apple base is tannic and heritage-variety focused. The lactose is most noticeable near the end, giving you a creamy finish that satisfies. 8.9% and does not taste it. 

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

Next recommendations:
More Sweet – Coffin Ridge – Lavender Earl Grey
More Sour – Revel – Spirit of the Woods
More Dry – Beaver Valley – Ginger Cider
More Crisp – East Street – Harvest Botanical

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