Gwatkins Pyder

A confession: I had intended to run the Winchester tastings through for the next week or so… but as I have not been able to write up the rest of them I am going to do a slight diversion to this Gwatkins Pyder first.

Apple and pear blended together (Perry/Cider… Pyder – geddit?) is becoming rather popular these days. However, unike its berry or beetroot counterparts pyder actually has some traditional precedence. Gwatkins puts it as “the original pear cider”. I can’t say that I disagree with them – though I suspect pear cider had more to do with making perry marketable in the eyes of the PR guru’s who didn’t understand what perry was.

 

The bottle has an ingredients list – apple and pear juice, pure sugar and a trace of sulphites. Good, although at 5% was any water a part of that process too? I know I do down dilution, but having a touch of water in a cider is not a terrible thing… after all, those apples must be washed before milling, and many people dilute sulphites before adding to a juice? And then how many producers are thoughtful enough to dry out freshly washed tanks prior to filling? This stuff isn’t a sin in itself – just the abuse of it for commercial interests (i.e. diluting to deliberately create additional volume and lower % juice).

Anyway, on with the Gwatkins. Now, before I open this bottle I should say that, in my experience, Gwatkins have a tendancy to over sweeten things. This is true across their range – so it isn’t some mistakenly sweetened error. There are a few producers like this (a growing number in fact) – and whilst I cannot say what the reasons are for this I also cannot see how it makes the drinks more popular or accessible in general. Anyway – I shall not judge this until it is in my mouth… although the sugar on the ingredients was clearly used for something. 

It is quite light golden in colour and has a moderate sparkle to it. As I write this is it sat newly poured near to me and already I can smell the pears – wow that is quite a strong smell. The fruit is just about jumping out of the glass at me. Sticking my nose in reveals apples (mostly), of the cider kind – not a dessert fruitiness at all. The pears are much more restrained now, but it does smell light and airy – nice on an evening that is sunny.

Oh bloody hell it is all sugar. Well, that is a huge shame – I was expecting good things. I am having to dig deep into this drink now, because it really is very sweet indeed. I am getting the pears at the back of my throat – they are soft and fruity (and would be delicious I am sure if it weren’t for this over sweetening). The apples – which are the bolder taste, relatively, are all but drowned out with a sugary sweetness that does this pyder no favours whatsoever. It honestly makes it rather quire syrupy and not at all to my palate. 

Grrrrrrr. I hate berating a producer of such high quality cider but this is not by any means the first Gwatkins that has been shown the heavy hand of sugar (and lost marks for it). Now, I am sure they don’t really care what I have to say and I am sure it is massively popular with sweet toothed drinkers, but this really could be so much more – I get hints of it’s potential… if only a bloomin hydrometer was used as a guide to adding sugar!

I am having a second glass of this to try and get beyond the moan, which seems to have taken residence on this review! The majority of the apple coming through is bittersweet and farmy; the pears are gentle yet aromatic. It seems a really decent blend. But. BUT. I cant get it… it is surely a complex and interesting blend. There is much more going on than the drinker is allowed to experience courtesy of bad sweetening. 

The aftertaste is fairly short and (unfortunately) sweet. So sad!

This pyder scored 60/100 – and that was on the basis that I could get at some of the flavour. As a note, I reckon if it was more sensitively sweetened it would be bronze or even silver medal. Shame. 

Gwatkin's 'Silly Ewe' Dry Cider

So, Gwatkins haven't done that well at my hands recently - I have found the ciders far too sweet... and a sweetness that kills off most of the rest of the character of the cider. This one, however, is their dry so I have higher hopes for it.

Over-sweetening of cider is a real shame - especially when the cider behind all that sweetness seems like it is really good. I know where it comes from - the mass selling ciders are sickly sweet and the public is now regarded by some as having a real sweet tooth when it comes to alcohol. However, these sweet commodity ciders have the character of a ghost - they are not as intense as the real, full juice versions and, again, large producers have convinced themselves that this is what people want. To some degree this is true - milder, sweeter, watery ciders are popular. Its more the bullshit marketing and lying that annoys me - these people have convinced themselves that this is all OK... you know, get around in a group of like-minded people and tell yourselves you are good over and over again until you believe it!

I didn't mean to go off on one, so apologies (and apologies for the swearing - though its how I feel so I won't delete it). The point is that some traditional cider makers have also convinced themselves that they should offer over sweet ciders. This is also a crime, as cider should be as described - a dry should not have been sweetened... or perhaps a touch. A medium dry shouldn't be a dry OR a sweet in disguise. As consumers, we pay good money for decent cider and I (for one) feel a bit conned when the cider I buy is far too sweet for what it says on the label.

Anyway, lets not prejudge this cider eh!  I like the label... OK it is a bit of a silly name, but it is a nice simple design and at least it is memorable. It does seem a bit on the weak side at 4.5% - a lot on the weak side if I am honest (for something that has fermented out to dry). However, it pours out golden and still... I have to say that the cap was very loose on this bottle though!

In terms of smell, I am getting definite farmyard off this cider. Rough and tannic and bold fruitiness. However, the smell is really not matched in the taste at all. IT IS SWEET!! Well, as I wrote that first bit before opening the bottle I could say it was prophetic... though I suspect it is par for this particular producers course. What is a dry cider doing tasting all apple juicy and sweet?! And there is a lot of juice in here - in fact, once again, it seems to dominate any cider character that may have been present. There is a little tannin, but this is coming out of the juice too.

In a positive mindset, I would say that this is a fruity cider, though it is almost apple juice fruity. There is very little acid (or at least I cannot detect that much over the sweetness of the juice. The aftertaste is really quite long although I am not that happy about it as it is just the sweet juice I can taste.

This is an excellent example of what I meant above about over sweetening. I doubt Mr Gwatkins reads this blog, but if he does, please - please - please. Make a dry cider that is dry! Cut your sweetening amounts in half and you will have some excellent ciders! This one, at this level of sweetening, is just not my cup of tea I am afraid.

Gwatkins "No Bull" Medium Cider

Sticking in Herefordshire for this next review - Gwatkis "No Bull". It is a medium cider, which is admittedly not my first choice. However, how can you refuse when trawling the shelves of Truffles Deli in Ross on Wye??

I quite like the label - the colour and type make it seem 'farmy' and yet quality. I am not so sure about the name of the cider though - stuff like 'Cripple Cock', 'Sui-Cider' and the like are just silly names designed for those who want to get pissed and not for those who actually want to drink it (incidentally, both silly names above are real names of cider - whether they are names of real ciders is a different matter and I will not get dragged into relabelled ciders until I get a spot on Cider101 and cannot think of anything more interesting to write:-)

I confess to being a little surprised at it's 4.5%. I know it was a poor year for the sugar in apples, but this seems a little weak for a full juice end product. Its just a bit light on strength, that is all.

On pouring it is a very dark cider - brown almost. It is also still: not a single sparkle or pfzzz from the bottle when opened. It is mostly clear, although I have categorised it as 'hazy'. Interesting complexion then!

The aroma consists of red berries, currents and  plastic. It's a little odd really. Could it have been fermented in a spirit barrel? Not sure, but it is a little confusing an I would say it is a curious cider. Wow. Hold on. Taste. SWEEEEEET. This is very sweet; where is the cider in amongst the sweetening?

I do not believe this cider is a medium. The sweetening is far too heavy handed for that. In fact, I am not sure if it is a sweet either... a sweet sweet if there is such a thing! Sorry Gwatkins, but this has been overdone. I am searching for the flavour, tannins and acid, but these have been all but grubbed out by the sweetening. I guess this cider gives me the feeling of a demi sec cider from France - sweet and low in alcohol. However, before anyone runs off with the idea that this is a clever thing, I should mention that demi-sec cidre is about 2% alcohol and had a significant element of flavour... it should be fruitier and there must be a deep tannin running through it.

Short to medium aftertaste, though sweet lasts much longer. In fact, I don't think I will need sugar in my coffee later on! OK, perhaps that is a little much, but this cider really could have been so much more than it ended up. A 65/100 is, I think, on the generous side and acknowledges Gwatkins ability generally...

Gwatkins Norman Cider

The idea of a 'Norman' apple is a little vague. Yes, it is a variety that originates from Normandy - and they know how to produce a good cider in Normandy. However, there isn't simply one 'Norman' apple; in fact, the information on the label attests to this and says "The Norman Cider apple was imported from Normandy in France. There are half a dozen varieties of the same name, which vary in size and shape, but many of them share the same flavour."

I will be interested to see if this cider shares a similar flavour profile to the French cidre's I have tried. As a bittersweet variety, Bulmers Norman (the variety or 'Norman' that appears to be the most readily available in the UK) was - as the name suggests - developed by HP Bulmer... probably back in the day when Bulmers were producing more traditional ciders. This is undoubtedly because the trees are high yielding more than any vintage quality... I have heard they are fairly tough to process (although never tried them myself).

OK, lets get on to the cider - for the first time with a UK cider the bottle is corked. This is common for French cidre but crown caps and ROPP plastic screwtops are very much the common currency in this country. OK, not exactly worth any points for the cider, but I find this kind of stuff interesting!

Its appearance is slightly a slightly orangey golden cider (amber may best describe it). It is flat and clear and, boy, it smells sweet. There is a little fruit behind the sweetness, but bear in mind this is a medium - and its all of its medium monika!

The taste is curious. It is very gentle but with a moderate tannin running through it. When I say gentle, I mean that you need to pay attention to get the most out of it. To be honest, the sweetening gets in the way a bit too much - although it really is a pleasant cider and worth trying (one thing about single varieties is that each type is different - as each variety of apple is different... mostly:-)

The aftertaste is long but quite low key.

Norman apples are more often used as an 'also ran' fruit - making a contribution to a blend rather than being used as a stand out personality. Its not a bold or brash cider apple, its much more delicate than that (and really doesn't deserve all the sweetening!). I liked this cider though; its nice to have to sit and think about a cider every now and again... and that says a lot for the Norman apple.

This cider scored 70/100, so another bronze apple awarded.

Gwatkin Old Rats Tale

Last on my list of ciders from the January trip to the Bristol Cider Shop (probably because it is the smallest bottle!!) The Old Rats Tale from Gwatkins is actually quite a clever name for a cider.

The 'story' goes that farmers either used to put rats in to fermenting cider, or that the rats fell into the open barrels. The acid essentially dissolved them and added 'body' to the cider. OK, its probably not just an old wives tale to the extent that cider would and could have been fermented in open barrels; although I am sure that even in the rusty (should that be rustic? :-) old days there would have been some kind of closure to prevent things from falling in. However, I doubt anyone actually did it on purpose (and to my mind rats are not a part of the practice that I would associate with quality, heritage cider!)

Apart from the name, this is a very respectable looking cider - very dark when poured and I am looking forward to seeing how dry it is. Not sure why it says to watch out for sediment as its is as clear as a bell and a fair carbonation to it as well. Once again, it is nice to see cider makers leading the way by giving an ingredients list (OK, a short one - but they are the best!!). It'll be a long wait before ingredients listing on alcohol becomes standard though - I cannot see the wine or beer industries being too keen on it... and some cidermakers may not be too enthusiastic either.

Anyway, it smells all cidery - faintly cidery I should say. Very fruity too.

The flavour that first hits you is bittersweet fruit, although there is another note going on too - it has to come from the barrel as its not a cider flavour. And no, I don't think its just oak (unless the oak was spooned in!) It doesn't ruin the cider though and dies off pretty quickly. This leaves a mildly sharp cider taste with plenty of tannin going on. Its good (although the spirit taste does keep hitting you each and every mouthful, which actually gets a little dull. I must say, to its defence, that I do find anything but a slight hint of spirit cask distracting - so I don't have that much tolerance to be fair.

The aftertaste is warm and tannic, and pretty long. Its just a shame its a small bottle!!

A respectable bronze apple with a score of 77/100.

Gwatkin Kingston Black Cider

Back to Gwatkin's. A dry one this time (I double checked!) and another single variety too. The famous Kingston Black returns... again:-) I must say that it does seem to make fairly decent cider, if trawling through past reviews is anything to go by. However, I suspect that many have been adjusted to balance them out (well, I think that of most single variety ciders really).

But that is not the object of my attention for this review. Oh no. This cider has an ingredients list!!! Apple Juice and sulphite. And that would appear to be it. D'you know what? That is all it takes to make cider. Actually, that is all it takes to make brilliant cider. Honest! Its only when you start mucking about with it that you start adding things in like flavourings, aroma's and colouring. Compare this cider to the Marks and Spencers cider - they also have an ingredients list (and I have commented on it extensively already. So if you want to read that, look at the review of their Somerset cider).


OK, lets get back to this Gwatkins cider. On opening it has a low to moderate fizz. Possibly more fizzy than I had expected, although it is also pretty bright so it shouldn't have been a surprise.Its also a brownish golden colour;  typical of Kingston Black. It has a deep and tannic smell which is also typical... In fact it has Kingston Black written all over it in very large letters, underlined and with an exclamation mark.

So, on tasting it I now understand the fizz - it lifts the KB from bone dry to merely dry. However, there is some huge tannin going on in this cider - a mild acid sits behind the tannin but doesnt really compete in any sense. But then, with all that tannin it also has a big taste and body going on. And in saying that it also has lots of character too.

If I am going to try and find something to criticise on this cider, it is solely that it is all tannin and body; Going on through this bottle it does become a bit one dimensional in the mouth (maybe I should have shared it).

I reckon that, apart from the New Forest Kingston Black cider (which in my reckoning is still pretty much the most hardcore and raw Kingston Black going), this cider is the second most Kingston Black Kingston Black cider I have tried and reviewed. More body than New Forest, but quite as much character.

SO, a stonking score and a silver apple. But. Not my favourite KB cider.

Gwatkin Yarlington Mill Cider

Ha ha. I have been lucky enough to get back to Bristol recently... and although the Bristol Cider Shop was fairly lightly stocked it was fortunately lightly stocked with lots of things I haven't tried before:-)

So, here we have another Gwatkins cider. Yet another Yarlington Mill single variety to compare with all the other YM single varieties. There seem to be a staple few that lots of producers make - Kingston Black (clearly the most popular single variety), Dabinett (almost as popular). Yarlington Mill must be right up there with them too. And actually that is not a bad thing - its a great apple. I have said all this before, haven't I??

When I write these reviews, often I will try them the day before and write up the tasting profile and notes before saving it and then coming back on another day - empty bottle in hand. Other times, I write up notes on the back of an envelope (when the 'puter) isn't handy enough to use. Only rarely do I get to write up my ramblings prior to trying a cider - or (as I am now) straight into a new blog post. In doing this one, I have noticed that this is review 151. Wow. That went fast! Have I really drunk 151 ciders in the last year?

This cider has a moderate fizz but is deep and reddy golden - exactly what to expect from a Yarlington Mill cider. The aroma is deep too and tannic, full bodied and deep. I am expecting the taste to be equal to this (if a little light on the acid... if its a true SV) And sure enough, not much acid behind the tannin. The tannin is a little light too - although this is almost certainly due to the sweetness of the drink.

Its at this point I notice its a medium. What is going on here? First Heck's Port Wine and now this Gwatkins... I do hope there is a dryer version and I was just unlucky that the Cider Shop only had these. OK, I suppose I should have paid more attention when I bought them. Saying that, both this and the Hecks are bordering on being too sweet to drink - is it just a bit too far?

I guess I am a little saddened by it... however, re-approaching this drink once the information has been absorbed, it is full bodied underneath the sweetness (although it is still a little hard to get beneath the sweetener).

Aftertaste is dominated by sweetness (as is the rest of the drink). A bit of tannin comes through. I have to say though that the medium sweetening is too much for this single variety to take. I have to admit that I have determined to hunt down a dryer version of this cider to review. I feel as though the review has done it a disservice as Gwatkins is a renowned artisan cidermaker.

A score of 70 sees a surprising bronze - I am sure the same cider but dryer will score significantly more.

Gwatkins Original Dry Cider

Back to cider from The Cider Shop in Bristol, and another one that I am really looking forward to. I do like clear bottles - you can see the liquid inside and this is a deep golden colour that just screams 'tannin' and 'dryness'.

I would comment on the strength though. I am a little surprised that a full juice cider comes out at 5%. OK, I ought to qualify that. 2010 was not an exceptional year for making cider; it was not a bad year either. I don't recall seeing any reports of low or uber-high gravities being achieved too. So I would expect a craft cider to turn out at about 6-8%. Not that 5% is ridiculous though - and with the UK law stating that alcohol content can be as far as 1% out in either direction I think there is room for debate here.

So, on to the cider (lets face it, if you really appreciate a drink then you only notice alcohol content if it is absurdly high or pitifully weak). Its all about the taste, right? (I do wish I could get that through to many of the cider drinkers at festivals though).

So, the first thing I should say is that I reckon its been filtered and force carbonated. Not a crime, but noteworthy. The smell though - huge whiff of what I can only describe as caramelised apples. fruity and tannic but its all incredibly deep. The sparkle is moderate though - which I find a little over fizzy.

And so on to the taste. Wow, now that is a rounded cider. Tannins, acid and apple - all burst in the mouth. Its a bit watery in the mouth however (though I am not saying its been watered down). The aftertaste dies a little too quickly too.  And when you stick your mouth out for the next sip, you get the smell again - toffee apples? I can't quite place it, but its quite strong.

I was expecting big flavours from this cider. They are there. But they seem to have been tamed quite a lot and its a more delicate flavour than I had expected. Its also not exactly bone dry either. Now I don't think its been sweetened, just that the fruit that is in this cider is not all tannin and punch.

A note on the aftertaste; there is a pleasant acid kick at the end which is good. I would say that a useful bittersharp or two are in the cider.