Bandida do Pomar

This Portugese cider is made by Sociedade Central de Cervejas e Bebidas S.A., part of the Heineken group. As they describe it: "With a fruity, light and refreshing taste, Bandida do Pomar cider has an intense apple flavor. It is aimed at consumers between 18 and 34 and all alcohol consumers who want new alternatives."

It has a light amber like light apple juice colour, and a light apple juice bouquet. Taste is sweet with an artificial apple flavour and no dryness in the finish, just a lingering sweetness. 4.5% ABV. 5/10

Cider Tour 2024

I tried 39 ciders while on holiday in 2024. Most were British and many of these were at the Armagh Food & Cider Festival in Armagh, Northern Ireland. The Long Meadow ciders were pretty good. I tried 6 at The Cider House in the Borough Market in London.

Cider & Wine dinner at Long Meadow Farm

I tried 5 in France that I purchased at a high end grocery store: La Grande Épicerie, Rue de Sèvres, Paris. I tried 4 in Tbilisi, Georgia and they were not drinkable.

I had a couple of nice Austrian sparkling ciders in Vienna.

Appie - Le Poiré

From Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône, this pale yellow cider has a light fresh apple and dry pear bouquet. Taste is intially quite dry for a perry and quite a subtle pear taste, and it finishes still quite dry. Nice and refreshing. 8/10

 

Zathinoe Cidre Bouché

From Castillon en Auge comes this cider with a slightly cloudy amber colour and a very mature apple bouquet. Initial taste is of old even musty apples, rather than just mature which persists and finishes off dry. A strong cider and the extra old apple taste is not appealing. 5/10

Alain Milliat Organic

From Normandy comes this cider that is yellow-amber in colour with a light mature apple bouquet. Mature apple initially follows with an off-dry finish with a hint of old cheese with a lot of body. 6.5/10

Fils de Pomme

A French cider from Nanterre. Slightly cloudy light amber colour. A nice fresh apple bouquet and a pronounced fresh apple flavour which is noticeably off-dry on the finish. 9/10

Topa Brut Apple-Pear

A Spanish and French cider: apples from Normandy and pears from the Basque region of Spain. It has a slightly cloudy pale yellow colour and light apple bouquet. Taste is a tart light apple that lingers  finishing with a light dryness. There is some sediment in the bottle. 7/10

 

Dunkertons Organic Perry

From Dunkertons Cider of Herefordshire comes this medium sweet organic perry. Lightly cloudy and a pale white wine colour. Has a light apple bouquet. The medium sweetness appears first then proceeds to nice medium pear taste and finishes a little drier. One of the better perries I have tried. Most perries are on the sweeter side but this is not overly sweet. 7.5% ABV. 9/10

New Forest Dry

From New Forest Cider of Hampshire, this cider is the driest I've had since Hard Way. It has a slightly cloudy light amber colour with a light dry apple bouquet. Taste is very dry initially but on subsequent sips seems less dry and a mature apple taste lingers and not as dry. 7% ABV. 6.5/10

Pilton Carousel

From Pilton Cider, this cider has medium dark colour of fresh apple juice with a nice mature apple bouquet. There is a an initial mature apple taste with a hint of caramel; on following sips the caramel fades and it finishes dry. 5.2% ABV. 7/10

Ascension Pilot

From Ascension Cider company of East Sussex, this sparkling cider is made from Russet, Bramley and Braeburn apples. It is slightly cloudy white a light white wine shade with a fresh apple bouquet. It has a light apple skin taste with a hint of perry. Finishes a little dry. 4.8% ABV. 7.5/10

Sandford's Orchards Devon Mist

From Sandford's Orchards of Devon, this sparkling cider is the colour of Chardonnay with a fresh apple bouquet. Medium sweet with very light fresh a[[;e taste. Would make a good quaff on a hot day. A touch sweeter than I normally like but very nice. 4.5% ABV. 7.5/10

Oliver's Encore Blend

From Oliver's Cider & Perry of Herefordshire, this cider has a cloudy pale orange colour with an apple skin bouquet. Initial tart fruit taste then drier, but on second taste is less tart with an apple skin forward and a dry finish. Overall a rough apple intense flavour. 6.2% ABV. 6.5/10

 

Nightingale Falstaff Bramley

From Nightingales Cider Company of Kent, this cider is slightly cloudy and a very pale burnt orange/yellow colour with a fresh apple bouquet. Old apple flavour (in a good way) that lingers and finishes dry. 6.2% ABV. 7/10

I tried these and the next few British ciders at The Cider House in the Borough Market in London.

Weinkultur Preiss

I tried this pair of Austrian sparkling vintage ciders that I purchased at Hass & Haas in Vienna. Like champagne these ciders have a second fermentation in the bottle. This may account for the large among of foam that forms on pouring. 

Die Apfelkönigin von Viktoria Preiss 2022
Made from the Baya Marisa apple. Pale yellow in colour it has a nice apple skin bouquet. Taste is just off-dry with a delicate apple skin taste. 7.5/10

Die Apfelkönig von Maximilian Preiss 2021
Made from the Ananasrenette apple. Pale yellow in colour it has a fresh apple bouquet. Noy quite as much foam as the Viktoria Preiss above. Initial tartness that lingers. The fresh apple continues and then finishes with some tartness. 8.5/10

 

Die Apfelkönigin
von Viktoria Preiss

 

Die Apfelkönig
von Maximilian Preiss

Goldkehlchen Cassis

Another cider from the excellent Goldkehlchen brand though not as good as their plain or cherry cider. It has a red tint similar to their cherry cider. The taste is tart but with only a hint of cassis unlike the pronounced cherry flavour in their cherry cider. Still a pleasant and refreshing quaff. 7/10

 

Strongbow Rosé Semi-dry

Light red in colour like a light rosé wine with a hint of soft berry bouquet. The taste is light berry and a touch sweet but not overly so. 7/10

 

Georgian ciders

Though a country that grows lots of apples, they are new to cider making—and, unfortunately, it shows. I tried many and none were up to current standards. The first three by NaturAle Brewery of Tbilisi whose retail store and bar I visited.

Naturale Chokeberry No.4
Light musty bouquet. Neutral apple taste with a hint of berry and slightly tannic and slight musty aftertaste. 4.9% ABV. 5.5/10

Naturale Dry No.1
Cloudy with the colour of scrumpy. Light musty, yeasty and very light apple bouquet. No real apple flavour; dry light with almost no aftertaste. 4.7% ABV. 5/10

Naturale Semi Sweet No.6
Very light cloudy pale yellow. Light fresh apple bouquet. Initial fresh apple and lightly sweet but with a light musty aftertaste. Mustiness fades and light apple lingers. 4,8% ABV. 6.5/10

Summer Hugs Grapefruit
By Backyard Brewery of Tbilisi. Contains apple and Grapefruit juice. Light pale yellow and lightly Cloudy. Odd cheesy bouquet. Very dry taste with a hint of bitterness like Grapefruit pith but with a light musty aftertaste. 6.5% ABV. 5/10