Nowhere Special

I liked this better than David, but I think they went a bit high with the ABV (9,8%), and/or it could have used some time to mellow a bit or something, as its a bit on the harsh side (ie. I think this wouldn't have wide appeal). I appreciated that it didn't end up sour & funky, as I'm not into that, and I think that would have been way way to much with the ABV and moderate to high whiskey flavor. Notes of caramel, orange, leather, mollases, oak, and whiskey. Reminds me some of English cider. Very nice first specialty release from them, especially for $8 / 500ml for a 6 month barrel aged cider.

First off, I'm not a huge fan of this cider. That being said, this is the most interesting, complex cider I've had from Jester & Judge, and I hope they continue experimenting along these lines. I will definitely be on the lookout for their future limited releases. However this one has perhaps too many experiments rolled into one. It's a blend of three types of fermentation (though I didn't get much of the wild fermentation), and barrel aged in rye and whiskey barrels, and fermented up to a potent 9.8%. The taste elements are coming through, but the combination isn't quite doing it for me.