REVEL CIDER

GOOD MORNING

This new cuvée is made from varietal Reinette Russet cider blended with skin fermented Muscat Ottonel and Vidal. They add fresh honeycomb from Dan Thurston’s apiary. 10.2% ABV

IBI WINES JOPLIN

This wine comes from a vineyard in Lincoln, Ontario planted in 1972. Marechal Foch was created in 1911 by Eugène Kuhlmann in France by crossing European and American grape vines resulting in one of the world’s most successful hybrids. Canada’s vine-pull scheme incentivises ripping up hybrids and replanting with more prestigious cultivars. Fortunately, thanks to Marechal Foch’s winter hardiness (- 32oC) some old vines remain. The grapes were fermented for nine days in stainless steel before being pressed off. It was bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without SO2. This year’s rendition was bottled with a pinch of CO2 to mimic Lambrusco. 8.9% ABV

IBI WINES FLORETTE

This cuvée is made from Seyval Blanc planted in 1978 in Lincoln Ontario. This complex hybrid was developed in France and is prized for its high yields and shocking disease resistance, making it an ideal candidate for organic farming. The grapes were fermented on skins for a week before being pressed off. They then age the wine on rose gergamot for a month before bottling. After a year in the cellar, it was released. 10% ABV

OSTARA ELDERFLOWER

This cider takes three years to produce. In 2019, Tariq make a wild fermented base cider. In 2020 he infused that cider with Golden Plums. In the spring of 2021 they foraged elderflowers, infusing them in the cider/plum hybrid. 6.6% ABV

OSTARA HYSSOP

This cider takes three years to produce. In 2019, Tariq make a wild fermented base cider. In 2020 he infused that cider with Golden Plums. In the spring of 2021 they foraged Hyssop, a mint-like herb, from behind their cidery, infusing it into the cider/plum hybrid. 6.6% ABV

SOMA PET-NAT

This cider takes full advantage of Ontario’s pronounced seasons. Cider made from several apple species starts its fermentation in the fall but is left outside once temperatures drop below freezing; this stops the fermentation. In the spring, as the cider warms up, the alcohol and sugar melt quicker than the water; they capture this liquid and let it finish fermentation in bottle. The results are an ultra- concentrated naturally sparkling cider with about four atmospheres of pressure. It is not disgorged. 8.5% ABV

OUD BLANC

This cuvée is made from one third skin fermented Niagara Riesling, one third ultra-fresh perry from 2020, and one third back-vintage cider. The focus here is on the wild interplay of tannins (plentiful and chalky) and tropical fruit (centered around pineapple). 7.9% ABV

IBI WINES SKIN CONTACT VIDAL

This cuvée is made from Vidal, a hybrid developed in the 30s by crossing Trebbiano Toscano and Rayon d’Or. It is relatively winter-hardy and resistant to downy mildew although botrytis can present issues in damp years. The grapes were fermented on skins in tank for a short period before being pressed off. Tariq added a small amount of cider infused with nectarines to really amplify its fruitiness.

MITHRAS

It’s back and better than ever. Ontario Nectarines are macerated in cider which not only adds lush stone fruit flavours, but increases the alcohol and mouthfeel as well. This year they also added foraged sassafras branches which add a delicate sweetness.

SONATA

For this cuvée they used 250g/l of Montmorency Cherries, macerated with the cider for three months, stones and all. The cider was wild fermented and can conditioned. It was neither fined nor filtered. 6.5% ABV

STRAWBERRY WHISP

Whistling in the dark VERMOUTH

‘Whistling in the Dark’ is Revel’s first take on red vermouth. It is made from a base of cider and De Chaunac (a hybrid grape from in Niagara) infused with cherries and blueberries. The botanical make-up for this round was anise hyssop, yarrow, roman and absinthe wormwood. They opted not to fortify or sweeten it resulting in a much lighter finished product. 9.8% ABV

PROSTHETIC CONSCIENCE

For this project, Tariq wanted to play around with Perry to make something more balanced and complex. Perry tends to have a high pH and plenty of non-fermentable sugars. This usually means a round, soft, and sweet profile. To balance this, they fermented this particular perry with ten strains of brettanomyces to add bitterness and hibiscus to add tartness. 5.5% ABV

IBI WINES JOPLIN

This wine comes from a vineyard in Lincoln, Ontario planted in 1972. Marechal Foch was created in 1911 by Eugène Kuhlmann in France by crossing European and American grape vines resulting in one of the world’s most successful hybrids. Canada’s vine-pull scheme incentivises ripping up hybrids and replanting with more prestigious cultivars. Fortunately, thanks to Marechal Foch’s winter hardiness (-32ºC) some old vines remain. The grapes were fermented for thirteen days in stainless steel before being pressed off. It was bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without SO2.

OSTARA DANDELION

This cider was wild fermented on 250g/l of golden plums. In the summer following the harvest, they foraged tons of dandelion flowers (100lbs) which they then infused into the cider. With triple the flowers this year, it really packs a punch. 6.6% ABV

COSMOS

We’re back in the realm of wine-cider hybrids. Two thirds of this cuvée are made from varietal Northern Spy cider, while the final third is made from skin fermented Niagara Gewurztraminer. The wine adds significant weight and texture to an otherwise delicate cider. 8.5% ABV

DRESSED UP TO PARTY

Continuing on our magical tour of wine-cider hybrids we have the unusual combination of cider fermented on Ontario-grown Montmorency Cherries (80%), and Niagara Riesling fermented on skins for nearly two weeks (20%). 6.5% ABV

CORAL

19/20 PERRY DE COUPAGE

This cider is a blend of old and young perry. The young perry (2020) was briefly fermented on Riesling skins in stainless steel. The older perry (2019) was aged in ex-chardonnay barrels. The goal was to balance the young perry’s vivacious youth with a richer, oxidative perry. 5.5% ABV

GOLDEN RUSSET

This varietal bottling features the intensely flavored Golden Russet apple. This New York variety tends to have higher alcohol and fuller body than its compatriots. The illusion of sweetness and Chardonnay-like malolactic qualities in the final product suggest vinosity. 7.6% ABV

NORTHERN SPY

This cultivar originated in northern New York State, but has been successful in Ontario for over a hundred years. It tends to ripen late and display a distinctive floral aroma, but Tariq managed to coax more depth out of it. Thanks to gentle oxidation and fermentation with the pomace emphasizing chalky tannins, it is reminiscent of orange wine. He’s particularly proud of this cuvée.

CURSIVE

The base for this project is a perry made from Bartlett Pears. It was aged on Ontario Blueberries and old-vine Maréchal Foch. The tannins derived from the grapes help balance out the perry’s subtle sweetness. 6.4% ABV

GOOD EVENING

This cuvée is a blend of Niagara Vidal fermented on the skins, Cortland Cider, and honey/honeycomb. The latter’s complex sugars are slowly fermented by brettanomyces resulting in mild funk. 7.8% ABV

PUNCH

This release is made from cider infused with apricots and organic mint.

THE SPOT YOU TOLD ME ABOUT (VERMOUTH SODA)

The base for the vermouth is a cider made from apples, pears, and blue plums. It was then infused with foraged apple blossoms, wild lemon ginger, blue/red/Norway spruce tips, and white pine shoots. Lemon thyme was added right before bottling. It is then diluted, and force carbonated. It is bone dry. 4.4% ABV

OUD BLANC

The final wine-cider hybrid we’ve added to our roster is made from one third skin fermented Niagara Riesling, one third ultra-fresh perry from 2020, and one third back-vintage cider. The focus here is on the wild interplay of tannins (plentiful and chalky) and tropical fruit (centered around pineapple). 7.9% ABV

BURREL

OSTARA LILAC

Description from Revel: Plums and petals are two of our favourite things. Like all ingredients we use, both are fleeting. Transient yet punctual in their annual rhythms. This version of Ostara was aged on 250g/L Golden Plums for 8 months, our native microflora slowly chewing on the plum skins. We then added 200kg of fresh lilac that our friend Nicolas Querques foraged for us in May of 2020. The lilac presents itself with a soft floral nose, but the plums are the stars here with that bright and punchy plum acidity. Ostara finishes with a touch of earthy tannin, reminiscent of plum pits.

OSTARA DANDELION

Description from Revel: Plums and petals are two of our favourite things. Like all ingredients we use, both are fleeting. Transient yet punctual in their annual rhythms. This version of Ostara was made with 250g/L Golden Plums. To it, we added 99lbs of wild dandelions, foraged by our friend Nicolas Querques. It has a shockingly intimate dandelion aroma - if you made a pillow out of dandelions and stuck your face in it, this is what it would smell like. 

OSTARA CHAMOMILE (OSTARA 2)

For this rendition of Tariq’s running series combining fruit and flowers, cider was wild fermented on 250g/l of golden plums for eight months. Chamomile was then added for an extended maceration. 6.9% ABV

CHERRY WINE

Tariq loves playing around with different fruit fermentations and in this case it’s Cherries. They collected free-run juice from Montmorency Cherries grown in Jordan into tank. The juice was wild fermented and then bottled unfined and unfiltered with no additives. 7.8% ABV

MIRABELLE

This cider is made by macerated whole strawberries and lemon thyme in wild/skin fermented cider. It finishes fermentation in bottle resulting in modest carbonation.

CALLERY PEAR

Callery Pears are absolutely tiny; they have tons of tannins and sugar but are hard to harvest because of their size. These pears were foraged by their friend Nicolas Querques. They milled the Callery Pears and macerated them in their best barrel of perry which was made from Bartlett Pears.

ASTER

This is a Cider / Wine hybrid. Wickson Crab Apples are notoriously high acid and presented the perfect foil for low acid Gewurztraminer.  The blend is roughly fifty-fifty wild fermented cider, and wine aged on apple pomace. The two were blended and bottled with only 15ppm. It is mildly sparkling thanks to secondary fermentation in bottle. 9.1% ABV

ESTRELLA SIDRA

This cider was crafted to taste like Spanish style Sidra. In Basque Country, ciders are prized for their high volatile acidity and their bone-dry finish. In this case, one of the eighteen tanks Revel made had the right combination of flavours, so they bottled it separately. Unlike most Spanish cider, this one goes through a second fermentation in bottle resulting in a couple atmospheres of pressure.

DOLGO

Dolgo crab apples are as rare as they’re delicious. Usually Tariq uses the entire crop in their entry level cider to add weight and structure, but a bumper crop in 2019 allowed for a little experimentation. The tannic apples are fermented on skins for a period of time before being pressed off. After a fermentation in bottle the cider was actually disgorged and force carbonated giving it the predictability of conventional cider, but with more depth. 7.8% ABV

MITHRAS

This cider is made by macerating Ontario Nectarines and Saturn Peaches (Donut Peaches) with the must. At 250g/l, it extracts a lot of flavour as well as increases the alcohol and mouthfeel. 6.5% ABV

SOIF

For this cuvée Tariq and Stephen wild fermented cider on whole cherries and strawberries. They copied Cantillon’s fruiting rate of 200-300g/l of fresh fruit. Once fermentation was finished, they pressed off and let it macerate with whole-cluster Gamay from Rosewood in Niagara for a month. This imparted mild tannins and structure. 6.5% ABV

SOMA PET NAT

This cider takes full advantage of Ontario’s pronounced seasons. Cider made from several apple species starts its fermentation in the fall but is left outside once temperatures drop below freezing; this stops the fermentation. In the spring, as the cider warms up, the alcohol and sugar melt quicker than the water; they capture this liquid and let it finish fermentation in bottle. The results are an ultra-concentrated naturally sparkling cider with about four atmospheres of pressure. It is not disgorged. 11.5% ABV

PERA

This cider is made by wild fermented frash pears, and then macerating the resulting perry on Hyslop and Coates Jersey crabapple pomace. These tannic varieties add structure to the fruitier pear components. After three months of can conditioning the cider is ready to be released. 5.5% ABV

17/18 PERRY DE COUPAGE

This cider is a blend of old and young perry. The young perry (2018) was briefly fermented on Riesling skins. The older perry (2017) was aged in ex-chardonnay barrels. The goal was to balance the young perry’s vivacious youth with a richer, oxidative perry.

OUD BLANC

This non-vintage cuvée is a blend of 2017 Riesling (30%), 2017 Perry (20%), and 2016 Cider (50%). The acidity and TDN of the Riesling is nicely balanced by the Perry’s sorbitol sweetness, and the Volatile Acidity from older cider. 8.1% ABV

POM LAM

This is Revel’s take on Lambic style beer. The collaborated with Richard Preiss from Escarpment Labs in Ontario, one of the top yeast and bacteria researchers in the country. They start by boiling perry on tannic apple pomace and four-year-old hops. It then spends eight months in barrel. This is then blended with cider made exclusively from Hyslop apples. The blend is then bottle conditioned. 6.4% ABV

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