Excelsior Imperial Apple
Schilling Hard Cider
Story by:
Bev Blackwood
New World Cider
Year-Round
Oregon
USA
Judges Ratings 88
Aroma: 21 / 24
Flavor: 37 / 40
Appearance: 5 / 6
Mouthfeel: 8 / 10
Overall Impression: 17 / 20
Description
A pioneer of Imperials. This stellar cider takes flavor (and ABV) to new heights. With its tantalizingly tart fresh-pressed apples and semi-sweet profile, Excelsior launches your taste buds into an uncharted galaxy. Get ready for a complex and crushable cider experience that’s out of this world!
Beverage Profile
ABV: 8.40%
IBUs:
Served at: (45º F)
Hops:
Malts:
Judges Review
By Brian Eichhorn
Judges Ratings 88
Aroma: 21 / 24 / 24
Flavor: 37 / 40 / 40
Appearance: 5 / 6 / 6
Mouthfeel: 8 / 10 / 10
Overall Impression: 17 / 20 / 20
Excelsior Imperial Apple by Schilling Hard Cider is being evaluated as a C1A New World Cider (per the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines), as that seems the best fit.
This cider pours a deep burnished gold with a faint haze to it. Collapsing head here. Nose is super clean and expresses a deep apple character, almost fresh juice-like. Clean and persistent ethanol as well. I get a hint of jasmine and other herbal aromatics from the apples. Again, clean and nice.
On tasting, medium-sweet at least, if not fully sweet, and it has a ton of supporting clean acid and a decent hit of tannin structure to help even it out. On tasting, I get a lot of fresh cider notes, more so than a wine-like fermented character. Carbonation is a touch low for me, as a bit more could lift some of that sweetness. Very clean and fun, but definitely on the sweet end of the spectrum.
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