I just bottled a side-by-side comparison with EC1118 with two different OGs 1054 and 1064, starting with a gallon of cheap store bought juice, 1 tsp LC carlson yeast nutrient, and brown sugar to bump the OG in each of 4-1 gal fermenters. EC1118 fermented to 0.998 and Safcider ended at 1.000.
I lightly sweetened with sucralose and bottle carbed. I thought the EC1118 needed a bit more sweetener (use 33% more than the Safcider), I'm not sure if it was palate fatigue or reality, but I perceived most ester tones in the Safcider and preferred EC1118. Who knows what it will be like once it is fizzy and cold. I'll update.