Der Liebliche 2021 (German for the sweet) is the last apple jack from the portfolio of Apfeltau. As a refresher, Apfeltau is made up by Christian and Philip, both based in the heart of the Apfelwein-making region, Hessen in Germany. Following the common sense, I sampled their products starting from the least sweet to the sweetest. Hence, after the Mild and the Sour, the time has time to review the sweetest offering.
Company: Apfeltau
Place of Origin: Hanau, Hessen, Germany
Apples: a blend of locally grown apples
ABV: 21%
Package type: 200ml clear glass bottle with cork
Recommended type of glass: dessert wine glass
Appearance: pours a clear deep amber without any foam. No signs of carbonation. High-bodied.
Aroma/Nose: the nose is moderately strong, sweet and fruity with a strong aroma of raisins and sherry. It also comes with a faint note of peach and wood.
Taste: it starts sweet with a very gentle acidity of lemon. On the mid-palate, honey, raisins, lemon peel and a bitter note. Finishes with a touch of lemon and a note of alcohol.
Overall: Frankly speaking, from a product called the Sweet I expected to experience a sugar crash after the first sip. To my surprise, although the sweetness is there and its level is indeed quite high, there is also a certain level of acidity along with other fruity notes that balance out the sweetness and don’t give you that unpleasant sugar crash. Apart from the pleasant level of sweetness, I also enjoyed the fruitiness along with notes of raisins and sherry that linger on. I must agree with what Christian of Apfeltau told me in a conversation we had a while ago that their products could be used in cocktails. Since I would see the Apfeltau der Liebliche as a lighter alternative to sherry or brandy, in my opinion Der Liebliche 2021 could be used as a substitute of these in cocktails based on sherry or brandy. Also, due to the level of sweetness, I expect this apple jack to be everyone’s favourite. There is nothing out of balance or off-putting. Quite on the contrary. Since I’m not a big fan of sweet cider or apple jack, I would probably personally not drink again. But I can think of a number of persons who would be very fond of the Apfeltau Der Liebliche 2021. 4.5/6
Availability: directly from Apfeltau
Price: Christian provided me with a sample.
Cider Explorer 
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