harsh cider

I have 5 gallons of cider that has been brewing with Montrachet yeast for almost 4 months and after removing the stopper to see how it is doing i got a nice whiff of it and the stuff just about burned my nose hairs off. it is very strong smelling and tastes almost like a mixed drink. also in the beginning of the brew the stuff was spewing sulfur for about 3 days

do you think it is just too young still or is it contaminated? and if so is there a way to save it

Did you add a lot of sugar in the beginning? If so, then it sounds like it's just young. It's possible it was fermented with higher temps than normal and this is producing the vodka/rum aroma.

Contamination usually doesn't smell like hot alcohol from my experience.

I used 1lb of brown sugar but i didnt add that in until much later. it almost has a chemical smell so maybe ut has a lot of fusel alcohol in it

Did you ever rack it? I'd rack it if you haven't already and let it sit off the lees for a bit and give it another shot. Top up your headspace with more juice too.

I havent racked it yet I will do so tomorrow and top off my carboy once i clean it out

ok so i have since racked my cider and topped it off, after nearly 6 months in the carboy it is a bit sweater and tangy tasting but it burns like no other on the way down still. im wondering if maybe i have an oxidation problem

Cider shouldn't smell much, if it smells strong you have a problem probably oxidation or acetobacter.

Have you been checking the gravity? It sounds like your main problem is that it tastes too hot, correct? That seems to happen when we use brown sugar, it gets really hot, but retains a bit of the molasses flavor. If that is what's going on, I'd let it settle out, bottle it, back sweeten if needed, pasteurize, and let it sit a few months. It should mellow out a bit. In the meantime, start another batch, but don't add much sugar. It will be drinkable sooner, giving you the patience to let the hot stuff sit

sounds like a plan I will probably make some beer in the mean time so the impatience doesnt kill me