Apothic Brew Wine Review
Apothic Brew is a new Apothic limited release red blend and cold brew coffee infused wine that was first released in April 2018. Apothic is based out of Modesto, California, USA.
Not too long ago, Apothic released a different wine that was aged in whiskey barrels and it was a popular success.
Apothic tends to cast the rules aside when they craft their wines. They like to try something out on everyone and see if it sticks. If it does, then they seem to take it off the “limited release” list and keep it out all year.
They’re clearly doing the same with Apothic Brew.
Now, if you’ve been following Honest Wine Reviews for awhile now, you know that I try to stay on top of the Apothics, given their popularity.
Here’s the rest of them, reviewed by your’s truly. Pretty sure I’ve reviewed them all.
Apothic White (My video review of Apothic’s white wine blend. Try not to laugh at my lack of on-camera skills. But do follow my YouTube channel!)
Apothic Red (This was their first wine, I believe.)
Apothic Dark (The start of their experimentation phase.)
Apothic Inferno (Aged in whiskey barrels.)
Apothic Crush (A slightly different red wine blend.)
Apothic Rose (Their previous release.)
Now, onto the review…
Apothic Brew Review
From the bottle:
Blended with intrigue, Apothic Brew stirs your senses. Inspired by a passion for coffee, our winemaker has crafted an infusion like never before… Notes of red fruit and toasted oak combine with hints of cold brew for a well-balanced blend that captivates you from the first pour.
The bottle did not have a year on it.
Appearance
When I poured the wine into the glass, I expected to see a brownish tinge that you might get from mixing coffee and wine.
However, the wine’s color did not let on to the coffee infusion.
In the glass, the wine was deep plum in color.
Legs were numerous and fell slowly.
You definitely can’t see the coffee infusion by looking at the wine in the glass. It just looks like a glass of dark red wine.
Aroma
When I pulled the cork out of the bottle, I immediately gave it a whiff. My first sense was an aroma of coffee liquor on the cork.
After pouring, I noticed the coffee liquor aroma again, but from a foot away from the glass. The aroma kind of wafted about.
Up close, the coffee liquor aroma was more powerful and completely dominated the wine’s nose.
I really struggled to pick out any typical red wine aromas.
I also didn’t notice much alcohol in the aroma either.
Apothic Brew alcohol content 13.5% by volume, per the bottle.
After some “aggressive” spinning and sniffing I may have picked up a hint of black cherry. Or maybe just cherry or some other red fruits, too hard to tell.
Taste
The first thing I noticed about the taste was the good balance between coffee and red wine. The taste is mostly wine but with a noticeable coffee flavor. Especially with a fresh pour.
The coffee flavor tasted like light and mildly sweetened coffee with coffee liquor mixed in. Like an after dinner coffee with Kahlua in it.
The red wine flavor, though a bit difficult to descramble was the typical cherry / black cherry flavor you would find in a red wine blend.
I was really expecting not to like the taste, but it wasn’t that bad considering.
I found if I held the wine in my mouth for a bit, I really noticed the coffee flavor.
Mouthfeel and Tannins
Apothic Brew’s mouthfeel was fairly silky. It definitely wasn’t juicy.
Tannins were certainly present and noticeable, making this “blend” easily qualify as a dry wine. Which isn’t surprising given the tannic qualities of coffee beans.
I noted the tannins all over my palate.
Finish
Apothic Brew finished long.
The finish was mostly carried by the flavors. However, as they settled back, the tannins did continue the finish trajectory.
I discovered that if you go without a sip for awhile, a very mild coffee flavor is left on your palate.
Overall Opinion
Overall, much like when I tasted Apothic Inferno, I kept pouring and tasting as if to say, “What are we dealing with here!”
I’ll say this… If you’re a purist, then run away, this isn’t for you.
If you like novel creations or rule breakers, this is probably right up your alley.
One thing I’ll give Apothic credit for is that they did manage to not overpower the wine with the coffee. And, they created a great conversation starter with this wine.
As for me, I’ll call it a novelty for now. I could see myself bringing this wine to a party for fun. It’s definitely drinkable.
I’d probably bring another bottle of normal wine though.
Get it before it’s gone!
Apothic Brew price $13.99. That’s what I paid at my local big box wine store.
Oh, and it’s said to contain “less caffeine then a standard cup of decaf.” So, don’t go buying it thinking the caffeine will offset the effects of the alcohol!
Suggested Food Pairing
This is a tough one.
I would certainly first suggest it as a standalone sipper.
From there, maybe pair Apothic Brew with a soft cheese or a sweet dessert like a Tiramisu.
Anyone else out there tried this wine?
Hello Jon!
I am a BIG fan of Apothic Brew. Do you know why it is no longer being produced? That is my understanding and that news was very disappointing.
Thank you,
Dianne
Hi Dianne… thanks for commenting!
I didn’t know they were discontinuing it, actually.
I know some Total Wine and a few other big box stores are still carrying it, but it doesn’t seem as available as it used to be.
So, it wouldn’t surprise me if that were the case.
Thanks for sharing this, I’ll have to keep an eye on it going forward.
Anyone else out there seeing it being discontinued?
Now that it is 2020 and I am absolutely hooked on this wine, my store does not have it on their shelf any longer. Will it be coming back and if so, when?
Running dry in AZ
Good question Marcia! I wish I knew.
I have to say, I haven’t seen it up here in New England.
I’m wondering if others are seeing it where they live?
I’m not a wine person. I’m more of a white whale craft beer kind of guy. But this caught my eye at my local Friar Tucks. They had cases of it and it was being closed out at $6.95 a bottle. It wasn’t bad, but it wouldn’t convince me to give up craft beer either! Does $6.95/bottle mean it flopped? I gotta give them credit for experimenting. Thanks for the review. I was curious what others thought and your site was at the top of my search.
Thanks for commenting Jerry!
It’s hard to know if it flopped or not, yet. It was released as a limited edition. Apothic has done that in the past with other wines and they’ve all come back after a hiatus.
So, it’s probably going to be a wait and see.
I’m so glad to hear my review was at the top of your search results! Behind the scenes I put a lot of effort into optimizing my reviews for the search engines. Most times my reviews do pretty well, but not always. Glad this one did and hope you got value from it.
Cheers! Jon
Gin, Hendricks, in particular has been my drink for years (cucumber touch, even added a cucumber to the drink.). However, at age 88 hope to go to red wine to protect heart and brain….do not like it but neighbor introduced me to Brew and this I like. This, to me, is soft, smooth….does not “smart” the mouth. My nomenclature leaves something to be desired when it comes to a wine review.
I think your nomenclature is just fine!
Thanks for the review and visiting Honest Wine Reviews… Cheers! Jon
I was given a bottle of Apothic Brew for Christmas. I really like several of the Apothic wines but really not sure I like this one. I taste strong coffee with a hint of chocolate and since I am not a big coffee drinker or sweets eater I think this wine would fair better with those who enjoy desserts. It is interesting and I can definitely taste the Apothic brand in the wine. I just don’t really like the infused coffee flavour in it. However, I think the reminder of the bottle will definitely be useful in adding to the liquids in cooking my braised roast beef this week and add a very robust flavour.
Thank you for commenting and sharing your thoughts, Shari.
I appreciate it and am sure others will as well.
Cheers!
Jon
I love it! Pure and simple.
I used some to marinade a pork loin with some added herbs and it was simply delicious.
Thanks for commenting Gaye! Drink it, use it for cooking… all good!
I am trying it now…..I bought it a few days ago, seeing it next to the other Apothic
red wines..My first thought was ” my 2 favorite things…in a bottle! YUM..!! ”
I like it…I agree…I would definitely recommend it to my friends that like coffee and red wine..I do love to experiment with different reds…or whites.. for that matter..I am by no means a wine connoisseur, but I know what I like.. I would buy it again..
Thanks for commenting Kathy.
I think it’s great that you’re not afraid to experiment!
Cheers! Jon
The Apothic Brew is currently my favorite wine! I am sad to have just learned that it is a limited edition. I have been a red wine drinker for quite a few years. I am certainly not an expert and don’t have the fancy terminology to make accurate descriptions. But I know what I like, generally sticking to a merlot, shiraz, pinot noir…, the darker reds, nothing too sweet or fruity. My husband picked up a bottle of this for me to try, as I also love dark black coffee. I was intrigued! I loved it at first sip. It is unlike any other wine I have ever tried. Not too sweet, not bitter, not too fruity. I seemed to pick up a bit of chocolate flavor, or maybe just imagined that it would be good with dessert. I hope that Apothic will consider continuing with the cold brew, and if not, I look forward to seeing what their next release will be.
Thanks for leaving such a well-thought comment Becky!
Apothic is definitely known for pushing the envelope and trying things out to see what sticks.
And so far, much of it has.
We’ll have to wait to see if Apothic makes “Brew” a permanent addition or not. It’s definitely unlike any other wine out there.
Thanks again and great review too!
Cheers… Jon
I bought the Apothic Brew out of curiosity, although I like both strong coffee and red wine. I was really surprised how much I liked it. I is smooth and I like the fruity notes and the coffee. Not too dry but not sweet either. I like it.
Thanks for commenting and sharing your thoughts, Lisa.
Much appreciated!
thank you for your review..my son brought this to me to try. Generally i enjoy pinot noir, chianti, malbec, and a solid cabernet sauvignon…as you know this wine was intriguing. i am a one cup daily coffee drinker but do not like coffee flavored anything…yet i enjoyed this wine as it was full bodied and flavorful. i agree the coffee taste stays on your tongue and in your mouth when done drinking it and the aroma is strong. interesting flavor but i would not buy it for myself.
Hi Anne, you’re welcome.
Thanks to you for commenting and sharing your thoughts!
I was so happy to read your review of this. I don’t know much about wine, but the first thing I thought when I tasted it was this would be delicious with tiramisu! Glad to know I’m not the only one. I didn’t see any suggested food pairings on the apothic website, so I was happy you had a suggestion.
Sounds like we’re on the same wavelength! Yes, you’re not the only one. :-)
I think it’s because Tiramisu has that espresso flavor and the wine made me think of that.
So glad you enjoyed my review… Cheers Sue!