Private Reserve Barrel Select Cider
Woodchuck Cider in Middlebury, Vermont, United States 🇺🇸
Cider Regular|
Score
6.75
|
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Woodchuck Private Reserve Barrel Select is our ultra-limited cider crafted in small batches for a rare taste of sweet, crisp apple cider combined with smoky, dry bourbon flavors. Aged in genuine white oak Kentucky bourbon barrels, this copper-hued gem pairs excellently with cheese, pork roast and chocolate cake. Served best at 50 degrees, Barrel Select is truly an exclusive joy to relish.
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6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
12 oz. Bottle. Amber color with fast disappearing white head in the snifter. Aroma has light barrel notes with baked apples.
Flavor is a wisp of bourbon, tart apple, with a decent amount of sweetness in the finish. Vanilla oak with some caramel. Texture is very dry as it should be. Really the first cider I had that falls in the medium body range instead of light. Overall, maybe the best cider I have ever sampled. The barrel makes this cider.
Flavor is a wisp of bourbon, tart apple, with a decent amount of sweetness in the finish. Vanilla oak with some caramel. Texture is very dry as it should be. Really the first cider I had that falls in the medium body range instead of light. Overall, maybe the best cider I have ever sampled. The barrel makes this cider.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Apr 2014
at 16:39
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Pours still deep orange into a shaker. No head. Sweet caramel and bourbon aromas. Crisp apple upfront turning to vanilla and bourbon in the soft, lasting pie crust finish.
Tried
on 20 Feb 2014
at 13:08
7.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
Draft - Sweet red app land some barrel notes. Clear copper with no head. Marzipan, vanilla, far sugars an apple. After a long day of drinking, just what I needed. Crisp, refreshing and flavourful.
Tried
from Draft
on 16 Feb 2014
at 17:05
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle - thanks Adam! Pours amber with a very small fizzy head that dissipates quickly with little lacing. Aroma is crisp green apple with notes of bourbon and wood. Flavor is quite nice, bourbon forward with some initial sweetness that fades into green apple tartness. Some light astringence from the wood. Finish is dry. Yummy!
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Jun 2013
at 13:26
7.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Sampled at the 2013 Chicago Cider Summit. Pours a deep orange amber with a white head that starts at the edges and remains. Aroma has a great combination of apple and bourbon that works nicely. Flavor flavor has a beautiful combination of bourbon and sweet apple.
Tried
on 24 Feb 2013
at 14:24
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle. Oaky bourbon and apple aroma, maybe even a little buttery. Clear copper with quickly dissipating white ring (per usual for cider). Sweet apple, woody/oak bourbon, vanilla flavor. Yet again, I’m a sucker for the apple and oak combination. Medium body, lively carbonation. I’m not overly impressed with most of woodchuck’s offering, but so far I’ve enjoyed all of their private reserve options.
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 Feb 2013
at 13:50
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 8
Overall 8
Growler. Pours dark copper with a surprisingly large, frothy, tan head. The head disappears quickly, though. Standard cider aroma, with some notes of oak and vanilla. Very sweet, as usual, but subdued in the finish. The palate is nice and crisp, with a smooth finish. Overall, this is a very flavorful cider, with great complexity and depth, especially for a cider.
Tried
from Growler
on 13 Jan 2013
at 17:39
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Brown bottle from Total Wine in Sacramento, CA. Pours light amber with a slight creamy white head. Truth. Marvelous mixed aroma of cider, mild bourbon and oak. Med body. Flavor starts sweet, goes quite astringent, bounces to bourbon, then some oak pops out. Then it seems more astringent. Wow. The sweet start makes me thing of tart cherry. It is dry. Wasn’t getting smoke til I thought of it, but that’s in the mix. Simply amazing stuff.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Dec 2012
at 17:11
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Poured in a pint glass. 2012 vintage. almost completely still. Very little carbonation. Darker brown than I’m used to with most ciders. Nose is oaky, pears, apples (duh) and brown sugar. Taste is Very smoky, hints of vanilla. Obvious soured apples taste with a boozy bourbon taste that is start to finish. No bourbon mouth feels but it is a very unique take on the cider style. It’s not very dry or crisp, it is overly sweet like gobs of brown sugar were added.
Tried
on 24 Dec 2012
at 18:51
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Refrigerated 12 oz. bottle through trade with JStax poured into a white wine glass. Pours clear light amber, little head, little lacing, medium body, low carbonation, and wonderful sweet aroma. Taste starts sweet rich apple, oak, smoke, sharp bourbon toward the back end. Complex rich cider, but the flavor don’t completely mesh for me.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Dec 2012
at 18:36