Just bottled first Cider!

I just finished bottling my first Cider (and am currently drinking a glass of it)! Got just shy of 2 1/2 cases out of my ~5.5 gallons (I actually got exactly the 58 bottles I calculated... Go figure).

Turned out pretty good! I dumped in 2 lbs. of light brown sugar before pitching S04, and let it sit in primary for roughly 2 months before bottling today. I dissolved about 3/8 of a cup of Splenda into it and mixed it in before bottling so back-sweeten a bit (didn't want to wind up with apple wine coolers, but it was a bit on the dry side), and used 4 priming tables (the small ones) in each bottle to bottle carb.

Right now, even after 2 months, it's got plenty of kick and is quite drinkable (no vinegar taste at all!), but tastes more "watery" and bland than I expected... Almost like watered down white wine... Will the apple and sweet/tart taste continue to strengthen over the next few months? FWIW, I started with UV-pasteurized-only (no heat) Cider, and I did not heat treat it or use camden or anything before mixing and pitching.

My hydrometer says I should have rougly 7.75% ABV right now. How much more should I expect the priming/carbing sugar to add as it ferments? I'm giving out quite a bit of this as Christmas Presents, so do you think I'm safe telling people it's around 8%?

Thanks for all your help guys! Couldn't have done it without this place!

-Bill

Yeah 8% is about right. The apple taste and body will improve the longer it ages. Give it a few months, Like 6 months and it will be might tasty.

What was the final gravity?

Came out to slightly under 1.000. I couldn't tell exactly for sure because my wine thief went all the way in and was stopped by the neck of the carboy, but hadn't hit the bottom yet. I made the mistake of dropping in my hydrometer BEFORE filling the thief, so I couldn't get as much as I needed to float the hydrometer. But it was sitting on the bottom of the tube and reading just under 1.000. So I'm quite sure it all fermented out. OG was 1.060, which should make it right around 7.75% before the priming sugar ferments.