Lilleys Bee Sting Pear Cider

Temporary image - borrowed from Lilleys website

Now, to some extent the last drink on the list at the Cider Tap is really not my thing. A sweet pear cider. Look, I will try it and I will be objective about it... I do wish I knew how sweet a sweet was meant to be however... I guess its whatever though - whilst a Dry becomes a medium and then on to a sweet - there is no such thing as super sweet so sweet covers it all.

This pear cider is slightly different for the Tap as it comes out sparkling. It is pale yellow in colour and bright to look at. Not that you can look at it unless you have one. Sorry, once again the phone camera wouldn't work... well, the phone wouldn't work and I guess that just means that camera was knackered too. I do wonder if iPhones do well dipped in perry though!! No - I didn't. The thought just crossed my mind, that is all!

Now, to smell this pear cider is very odd. It smells of soap. Imperial Leather to be exact (and no. I hadn't just been to the toilet and washed my hands!) I guess there is some pear in all that sweet smell.

It is very sweet to taste - quite juicy too, so I guess it has been backsweetened with juice. It is also very light with very little tannin going on. My thinking is that this could be a perry made from Comace and/or Conference pears... these are the pears you get if you cannot get perry pears (or old fashioned varieties) - they are the most commonly available pears to buy in bulk. However, they neither contain any acid or any tannin. Well, next time you get a chance to eat one, let me know what the components of the flavour are!

Now, contrary to what I have just said above, there is plenty of acid... which is a bit odd. This is like lemon and lime with a bucket load of sugar on the top. The sweetness dominates all and, with a moderate aftertaste, I do find it a touch watery.

Once again, a pear cider that seems at odds with perry... but not as much as some (if it weren't so sweet!) I scored it 50/100... so right in the middle.