Really Sweet Cider to Start

I 6 gallons of cider and tested one of the gallons andits strating gravity is 1.059 +/-. I know you add sugar but doesnt this seem like a high sugar content for the cider by itself? My recipe calls for 3 cups brown and 2 cups white sugar - seems like alot.
Any thoughts.

Doesn't seem too much for a sweet cider. Depends what yeast strain you are using. I assume your recipe will call for a yeast that will die out at around 7% ABV, leaving a residual sweetness with the unfermented sugars.

I agree gunther, 1.059 is pretty high for something that will ferment down below 1.000.

If you add more sugar, you are going into wine territory. That's just my opinion.

Also, I wouldn't count on any particular yeast "dying out" at any particular level without deliberate intervention.

That starting gravity is high nor low until you decide the alcohol content you wish to achieve. Your hydrometer should allow you to infer a potential alcohol content per specific gravity. Some brew stores will give hand out for yeasts outlining the main uses for each, and their approximate alcohol tolerances. Once you decide how strong you wish your beverage to be then you can decide on an original gravity.

From my experiences I would not plan on sweetening your cider to a certain gravity and bank on your yeast "petering out" at a certain ABV, but let the yeast ferment to dryness, back sweeten, then bottle carb or keg, whichever your choosing.

I am new to the cider making and wsa shooting for somewhere between 8-9%. I did add a cup and half of white sugar and half a cup of brown and a cup of raisins. My gravity became 1.068. So wine it is then. The yeast was wine yeast as well. I am going to bac sweeten with both extra cider and sugar so this shpild redice ABV a little. Also it will be still cider. Hopefully it will still have some of that great apple flavor from the cider and not drowned out by higher alchohol content. Either way Im sure my friends and family will help dispose of it.
Thanks.