My 150th cider is by Westons Cider Company (who also made Stowford Press). From their notes: "Dark straw/amber colour. Dry, creamy and full bodied, oaky, smoky with subtle notes of leather." Bought on the Eurostar, it has a dry apple bouquet. Taste is initially dry with oaky notes. I don't detect the smokiness (good!). Lingering dry apple finish. Very good. 8.5/10
Tried this at a great pub at The Veteran Hotel in Ryde, Isle of Wight. Pale yellow with a light bouquet. Taste is off-dry with a light taste that finishes light. 7.5/10
Made in Somerset, it has is pale amber with a dry apple skin bouquet. Though called sparkling that disappears right away. Though labelled medium it seems more off-dry with an fresh apple skin taste. 8/10
Made in Somerset, it has a light amber with a distinct apple skin bouquet. Though called sparkling that disappears right away. Just off-dry with an apple skin taste that taste like real apple. That apple skin taste is fresh apple with tannins from the skins and possibly the seeds. 8/10
The last of the Long Meadow cider sampled at the Armagh Food & Cider Festival. This cider was meant to go with the dessert but was not sweet enough to match the chocolate torte and macaroon. It was just okay by itself. 6.5/10
Number four of the Long Meadow cider sampled at the Armagh Food & Cider Festival.This very different cider. It is a dark reddish brown colour from the oak and a slightly cloudy appearance. The oak aging adds a depth to the taste with subtle oakiness. It is a dark reddish brown colour from the oak and a slightly cloudy appearance. 6.5/10
Number three of the Long Meadow ciders sampled at the Armagh Food & Cider Festival.This one has is light in colour and has an apple forward flavour at the start but is quite light and the flavour fades quickly. 7/10
Another Long Meadow cider sampled at the Armagh Food & Cider Festival. An off-dry cider with good flavour. 6.5/10
I tried this at the Armagh Food & Cider Festival, particularly at the Long Meadow Cider 5 course dinner held on Sept 6, 2024 at their very fine Bramley Barn dining room. The first offering was the Rhubarb & Honey cider that was to go with the starters of a variety of breads with various spreads and a curried cauliflower soup.
As much as I don't care for rhubarb or sweet ciders this was well done for its type and quite good. It has a pronounced reddish colour and a light sweetness and the rhubarb flavour is not over powering. 7/10
I wasn't expecting much from this cider given its ingredients list: water, apple juice from concentrate, sugar, malic acid. It does brag that it is made from 100% British apples (well, the juice concentrate anyway!). It has a reddish-brown colour and a light fresh apple bouquet. It tastes like a commercial apple drink you would buy in a convenience store. Quite artificial apple flavour, but not horrible. 5.5/10
It is difficult say where this cider is from; the label says it is produced in the EU for a company in Bedford, UK but import by a company in Valletta, Malta. Colour is light like a ginger ale with a very light indistinguishable bouquet. It has a very light apple taste with a light artificial taste and is actually drier than I expected for a "medium sweet" cider. The labels says "apple cider with sugar and sweetener." That artificial taste may be from an artificial sweetener. 5/10
Another from Aspall, this is one of the driest ciders I have tasted. Pale yellow like a Pinot Grigio with a light wine-y bouquet. It has a very light apple taste with a definite driyness on the finish which is not unpleasant. Very refreshing. 8/10
From the Aston Manor Cider Mill in Stourport-on-Severn in Worcestershire comes this flavourful cider with a kick at 8.4% alcohol content, it is the strongest cider I have tasted. The note that they use no artificial colours, sweeteners or flavours. A medium amber colour with an apple-skin bouquet, it had almost no apple flavour but more of a dry butterscotch which is quite enjoyable. 8/10
Tried this in Northern Ireland but it is an Irish (Republic) cider. This is a standard generic commercial cider with a slightly artificial aftertaste. Nothing special, but not horrible. 6/10
This cider is pale amber like a light beer but slightly cloudy. This is very much a farm-style cider with a light musty bouquet. It has a very apple forward taste that is lightly musty but follows with a strong apple flavour. Though labelled medium dry it finishes off-dry – not too sweet. 7/10
