BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE ~ WEST AVENUE CIDER

West Avenue has no shortage of interesting and innovative ciders, along with some very good traditional ones. Bizarre Love Triangle was created using molasses, wintery spices and muscovado sugar and aged for a year in bourbon barrels. Sampled on draught the cider poured a slightly opaque rich golden amber. The flapper and the nose had complexity. The nose contained spices (cinnamon, cloves, etc) as well an a rich fruitiness along with the apples. The spice and the sweetness is cut by the tartness of the apples. A lovely woody nuttiness is evident from barrel aging. The cider is not heavily carbonated and has a lovely boozy warmth. A lovely winter bevvie!

7.2% from Flamborough, Ontario

Photo Courtesy of West Avenue Instagram

CATALYST 

MK II ~ WEST AVENUE CIDER

Catalyst cider is a dry-hopped (with Santium), barrel fermented with Ontario Montmorency Cherries. Sampled on draught the cider pours bright amber – pink. The nose has lots of tart green apple smell along with a kriek like notes from the cherries. The taste has some complexity to it. The cider starts quite tart, slightly sour with a touch of funk followed by a definite hop presence and cherry at the tail end and in the aftertaste. There is a lovely balance between the elements of this cider: hoppiness - sweet and tart. The cider is Semi dry with lively carbonation. Another cider win!

6.5% from Flamborough, Ontario

Photo courtesty of West Avenue Instagram

CATALYST ~ WEST AVENUE CIDER

Yet another amazing Ontario Cider.  The cider community has really taken off this year and had produced some outstanding and creative ciders.  This little dangerous drink is no exception.  Catalyst is a barrel-fermented, dry hopped farmhouse cider with strawberry and elderflower.  Sampled on draught the cider pours a light golden colour with a pink blush.  The aroma contains fresh apples, berries, floral notes and mild hops.  The cider begins with sweet strawberries and subtle florals.  The sweet berry tastes like summer, and not artificial at all.  The cider, mid sip, loses its sweetness and becomes crisp and finishes with very mild hop bitterness.  I would not categorize the cider as sweet or as dry, but somewhere in between.  I could drink this all night, refreshing and tasty.

6.5% from Flamborough, Ontario

MALUS-HUMULUS ~ CIDER GLB & WEST AVENUE CIDERY

Malus-Humulus is the collaboration effort with Great Lakes Brewery and West Avenue Cider. It is a cider that has been dry hopped with citra and mosaic hops. Sampled on draught, it pours a golden colour with lots of carbonation. The nose has fresh apples with good dose of piny and citrusy hops. The hops cut the sweetness of the cider, adding another layer of flavour, but not distracting from the apples. It begins sweet, followed by a little bitterness and finishes with tart acidity of the cider. This is quite delicious! The name of the collaborative beverage comes from the Latin names for hops (Humulus) and orchard apples (Malus).

6.9% Hamilton & Toronto, Ontario

Picture: West Avenue Instagram

DUBBEL CHERRY ~ WEST AVENUE CIDER

Made in a very small batch, my local was lucky enough to get one of the gravity casks for New Years Eve. It is a Cherry cider, made with Belgian candi sugar that has been aged in a Bourbon barrel for 12 months. Sampled from a gravity keg, it poured a vibrant red colour with apricot undertones and no head. There was a little bourbon on the nose with plenty of cherries and fruit. The flavour had tons of fruit, as well as a smooth oaky finish. The cider had a rich cherry sweetness but also retained some tartness. Very much enjoyed as my last drink of New Year’s.
8.6% from Hamilton, Ontario

HERITAGE FUNK ~ WEST AVENUE CIDER

Heritage Funk is a wild yeast fermented apple cider. It has been aged for a year. No Brett, sulphites were used and the cider is unpasteurized. It pours a light golden colour with fruit and a little sourness on the nose. There is a little bretty sourness; the apples are not strong, but smooth, tart and dry. A nice change, I would have this again.


6.5% from Hamilton, Ontario

THE GLOAMING  ~ WEST AVENUE CIDER

 The Gloaming is a wild barrel aged cider.  Pours slightly opaque yellow-gold, with a small head.  The cider is a peach cider but the peach flavour stays well in the background.  Nice mix of tartness, sourness,  brett-funk and ripe fruit sweetness.  It has a long pleasant finish. 

5.5 or 6.5% Hamilton, Ontario

TRIPLE  X CIDER ~ CLIFFORD & REVEL & WEST AVENUE

This cider is a collaboration between three Hamilton breweries/cideries. It is aggressively hopped using several different types of hops. The brew masters brewed the cider more like beer, by bring it almost to the boil and adding high alpha acid hops at different times to extract the hop bitterness. Galaxy, Citra and Hop X from Clear Valley Farms, were used in the process. The cider pours a hazy blonde with a minimal head. The nose is primarily apples but also a bit of Brett. Taste is of tart apples and Brett, with a hint of lemon tartness. The hops are well hidden but have reduced the sweetness of the cider. Nice clean dry finish. A very enjoyable cider.

6% from Hamilton, Ontario       34 IBU

SCRUMPKIN ~ WEST AVENUE CIDER

Sampled on draught.  Scrumpkin is a wild pumpkin cider made with wild and brett yeasts, and is dry hopped.  It pours a light murky yellow with a minimal head.  It is pleasantly funky-sour , but very little pumpkin was discernable.  Begins with lots of fruit flavour and a little spice and ends dry. Very enjoyable, especially if you like a sour, like me.

6.2% from Hamilton, Ontario

CHERRIOSITY ~ WEST AVENUE CIDER

Cherriosity cherry cider pours a blushing pinky orange hazy colour.  Aroma is all apples and cherries.   The Montmorency cherries do not overpower the cider and leaves a nice tartness at the finish.  The cider is sweet but not cloying and the touch of sourness balances it out nicely.  The taste does not linger.  It is refreshing on a hot day but lacking complexity. 

6.5% from Hamilton, Ontario