Review #8: Finnriver Pear Wine with Apple Brandy



I decided to start my Irish Infinity Bottle tonight by taking 2 oz each of the 3 bottles of Irish I currently have, and since it would be only 6 ounces (about 175 ml) I wanted an empty bottle that was smaller than the standard 750ml. As luck would have it I was one drink away from being done with this 375ml bottle! I've really enjoyed and savored this bottle which is part of why it stuck around so long waiting on the right mood or pairing for me to finish it up. Why not review it on its way out?

Background: Finnriver is a farm and cidery located on the Olympic Peninsula in western Washington. I'd enjoyed their cider on tap at bars in the past but didn't know they had other products until I ran into them at a farmer's market where they were selling fruit wines made from the fruit grown on their own land. Their apple wine was pretty good and true to the cider I knew, but this Apple Wine with Pear Brandy was a step above and really quite something. I gladly bought three bottles in various flavors from them on the spot.

Name: Finnriver Pear Wine with Apple Brandy
Strength: 18.5% ABV
Color: 1.5 Auburn; a dark-ish orange-reddish brown

Nose: Spiced apple cider with cloves. Raisins, sherry-poached pears, and light cinnamon. Floral honeysuckle with a touch of young grass and new spring leaves; something aromatic and refreshing like maybe eucalyptus. There's an effervescent quality to the nose even though the drink is still. After a sip: bitter candied orange peel appears.

Texture: Thick and syrupy, unsurprisingly very sweet since it's pear wine with apple brandy.

Palate: mostly a continuation of the nose, but orange marmalade is the first new note that jumps out at me (that orange note presents on the nose as a candied and slightly bitter orange peel). Then a slight dry bitterness like skin of a pear. I think the apple *brandy* elements show up more on the palate: in particular, there's a hint of molasses in the background.

Finish: mainly culminates as fresh red apple, hints of lingering raisin and pair.

After-nose: apple cider and sage (Cool! That came out of nowhere!)

Overall: This drink has a beautiful nose from which many elements appear on the palate, and is surprisingly complex for how sweet and relatively-low ABV it is; a lovely dessert dram. I'm definitely going to buy another bottle when I get a chance. Everyone I've shared this with was a fan as well. It's a nice digestif, and a fun companion for after-dinner conversation.

Rating: 8/10 - excellent, tremendously enjoyable, particularly in the category of sweet moderate ABV after-dinner drinks/digestifs.


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