Gwynt y Ddraig Farmhouse Cloudy Scrumpy

Cloudy scrumpy. I had purchased both this version and the non-cloudy cider at the same time - and kind of expect them to both taste the same barring the haze. They are both the same ABV, and have similar descriptions on the bottle. Is this a crime? Nah. I actually think its rather clever... although I do hope that one version is filtered and one not. Weston's do a similar cider which is dealt with... well, slightly differently.

On the balance of things, a cloudy cider is more likely to earn itself the moniker 'scrumpy' than something bright and clear. Mind you, I don't filter my cider and it clears itself nicely - well, its not bright, but not cloudy either. Only through bottle conditioning do I get any significant yeast in the bottle. So I would suggest that this is possibly managed to a degree (but I am not an expert on this - in fact each day I discover really how much I don't know about cider and cider making).

In a clear bottle, this Gwynt y Ddraig looks golden and cloudy right enough. And with a fizz it is a sparkling cloudy scrumpy. Its smell is lightly fruity - just as the other version is. I am not getting any sulphite in this one though:-)

It is a nice cider - a bit yeasty to taste but it has a measure of tannin and fruit - a bit juicy (which is how I guess it has been sweetened) but very nice none the less. The tannin is balanced with the acid well although its not a particularly challenging taste. There is some character to it which makes it a nice 'quaffing' cider.

The aftertaste is still juicy and is moderately long.

I am not entirely sure what the purpose of the yeast is. It would work as either cloudy or bright and clear. I am not sure that explicitly having yeast in it really adds to much to the experience. Saying that, if you come across either version I can recommend it - it is a nice cider!

A score of 76/100 is 1 point less than the clear version (though it could just be my mood this evening). Its another bronze apple for Gwynt y Ddraig.

Gwynt y Ddraig Farmhouse Vintage Scrumpy

Gwynt has received a mixed bag of reviews from me - some are absolutely fantastic and others, well, yes... there are others. I think this reflects opinion on them as a cider maker a bit. Call it jealousy or whatever, they have done well and their position as number one Welsh cider maker (that is number one in volume... OK?!) was always going to challenge some. Do they pasteurise? Do they 'muck about' with their cider?

Not sure I really care too much about this - after all, I have seen and heard a lot of practices in the industry. Sometimes I wish there would be a way of catching makers out. Other times, I just figure that you can only be honest to yourself without worrying about what everyone else is up to! I think the latter position is probably the one that keeps you most sane and, whilst it would be great to clamp down on some practices I doubt you will ever find that everyone plays by the same rules. And would punters really want them to?

So, what would I clamp down on? Well, I think I have put my cards on the table in regards to this already. I would double the minimum juice content for cider from 35% to 70%. OK, there are people who would take this further, but it would solve a lot of ciders challenges in one move. What else? Well, legally anyway there is no need to do anything about fruit ciders. They are already not supposed to be called cider. Perhaps I would enforce it a bit more. Finally, ingredients. If its good enough for Marks and Spencers then its good enough for everyone else... and would make it more obvious what goes into your glass.

The CAMRA APPLE bods have an issue with pasteurisation. I would argue they are barking up the wrong tree, although perhaps they should ask for a box of cider to state whether it has been pasteurised. Me? I have never seen a reason to pasteurise although can understand why its done. To sweeten with juice or sugar (basically, fermentable stuff) and when cider is held by a third party (wholesaler etc.) and you have no idea how long it will be in store for. These seem fairly reasonable to me.

OK. On with the show. Farmhouse Vintage Scrumpy is a vintage of 2009. Nice. Its also 5.3%, which I think is also great. On the bottle is claims 'award winning' (the subject of award winning cider makers ought to be the subject of its own post really... I think all cider makers seem to have them - which in turn makes awards pretty pointless).

On opening, there is a definite 'pfst', giving way to a low carbonation in this deeply golden cider. It has a cracking fruity smell which holds a mildly earthiness about it. Yum. There are a few sulphites up my nose too.

OK - the taste is a little surprising given the aroma. Its not nearly as fruity as the smell and its also rather sweet (which I confess to being a bit disappointed with... but that is most definitely a personal thing). Whilst it is a balanced scrumpy, there are some good tannins in here. It is all a bit controlled though - it does feel pasteurised in the mouth, with a slight caramel texture going on. Its also well balanced and moderate which comes across as a touch of being manufactured... which a scrumpy is generally not (hope you see what I mean!)

There is a long aftertaste to this drink though, which is lovely as the tannins linger and do well. Is it a vintage? I think so, yes. It has a smokiness about it which you don't get from young cider... you don't get from many ciders to be honest.

I like this drink. Sure, it leaves the questions over Gwynt y Ddraig open for discussion (you didn't expect a review to answer questions as opposed to resulting in more?:-) With a score of 77/100 its another Bronze apple.

Gwynt y Ddraig Dabinett Cider

So, having mentioned it in a recent review it all but jumped of the cider shelf at me shouting "drink me, drink me!!". Therefore, here is the Gwynt y Ddraig Dabinett cider. Its a medium dry, so more my kind of drink than their Scrumpy was. Its also a single variety; well, we shall see where that takes us.

Its a nice golden colour with a moderate fizz that isn't particularly persistent, so it levels out quite well too. And the aroma is encouraging too - there is definitely a dabinett or two in there (which I guess is an advantage for a dabinett cider!).

To taste it is a little sweeter than I expected, although its a deep west country taste with plenty of body to it. Its also very cidery - much the same as other dabinett ciders I have tried. I guess if Gwynt had gone a little lighter on the sweetness it would have improved it a bit for me, although I am most certainly not every drinker so it can't really be too harshly judged.

The aftertaste is sweet and tannic - pleasant. However, I am getting a good dose of acid too which for a bittersweet apple is also unexpected. OK, so in my reckoning it has been adjusted a little - balanced out I guess you could say. But its still not a bad cider at all.

This is what I would call an 'in-between' drink. Its not hardcore or uncompromising cider, but its not apple juice or alcopop either. If my friend were thinking about moving on from Magners, I would point to this kind of cider as a stepping stone (although we all have different tastes, so it might be just right for them).

Not on my all time top 10, but a bronze apple with 74 points. If you offered it to me, I would most certainly drink it:-)

Gwynt y Ddraig Farmhouse Scrumpy

Gwynt y Ddraig. Farmhouse Scrumpy. This should be interesting. Add to this that it was found in Tesco in Cardiff (the only place I have ever seen it). This cider ought to be a good example of a 'main blend' - a staple blend of a quality producer of cider. And I like good blended cider.

Another thing about this cider is that its in a 5 litre bag in box. So I guess it had better be good eh! Bag in boxes are a neat solution to serving a small(ish) quantity of draught cider - though don't expect it to be sparkling!! This one, a 5 litre box, is just the right size for a fridge too.

It a deep colour with no fizz at all and the aroma of cider fruit (maybe a gentle apple juice behind it too - well, it is a medium!. It certianly looks appetising enough.

Oh dear, sadly, its flavour is almost killed by juice. What a shame! OK, there is tannin is there a plenty but is very overpowered by the sweet juice (if its not juice, then it is a very odd sweetener:-) There is also very little discernible acid in it - the cider is tasty but doesn't really compete with the sweetening - which goes for the aftertaste too. Its a bit like alcoholic apple juice - I don't doubt that it's all juice, just that there is too much of it that has not been turned in to cider!

For me, this drink doesn't compare with their other ciders - true, it is a medium which I don't normally go for, but I would have thought it would have been thoughtfully sweetened - much in the same way that Perry take care to just sweeten enough but are sure not to overdo things and kill the cider.

On the positive side, its not repulsive. I can drink it just fine. But then it was a toss up between trying this and the Gwynt Dabinett... oh well, we all make the wrong choice sometimes (and I do still have the Dabinett to look forward to).

I am glad I tried it - although I do now have 5 litres to get through. Luckily I have a weekend with the in-laws coming up and father in law does like a sweet cider from time to time:-)

A score of 64 is disappointing for the producer of such things as Orchard Gold and Black Dragon. But, its better than a kick in the teeth eh!

Gwynt y Ddraig Gold Medal Cider

"Our Gold Medal cider is a blend of our bittersweet varieties with some of the true sharp varieties of cider apple to produce a very well balanced cider which won us CAMRA's Champion Cider of 2004"

So, not much to expect from this cider then:-)

In all seriousness, I was a little intrigued by this bottle of cider. With such modern looking designs for Black Dragon (etc.) this one looks totally out of place. But, quoting from the bottle above, this is a celebration of their CAMRA win... lets hope that i. this cider isn't from 2004 (cider keeps - but I doubt it keeps that well), and ii. the blend they used in 2004 is still as good in 2011.

It is a lovely colour - to start with. Deep and golden, with little fizz or fuss. And its smell is also deep and rich and cidery. Cider apples create a distinctive smell to a cider, and this has it in buckets. I wish that they wouldn't filter quite so much though... I am sure there would have been more to it without being so harsh with it.

The taste is quite simply gorgeous. True - there is nothing but cider varieties in here. And there is a nice amount of good acid too which offsets the tannin which actually isn't harsh at all, its rounded and mellow. The sweetening (usually a negative for me) rounds off the edges of both sharp and tannin even more, and this is rather too easily drunk! At 7%, you have to be fairly careful!

One thing I was a little surprised with is that the carbonation, whilst low, is very persistent. This works, as it breaks the taste up a little so its not quite so full on.

I am very pleased with this cider indeed. If I had a friend who was learning about cider, they wouldn't see this one for a while - I'd keep it for myself! My only niggle with it is that Gwynt y Ddraig felt that it needed filtering and mucking about with. Shame.

A score of 92/100 and a begrudging Gold apple to the Welshies (surely I am allowed to say that, I have been married to a Welshie for 10 years!!!) Nice one Gwynt y Ddraig!

Gwynt y Ddraig Black Dragon Cider

 
As anyone who drinks cider and has family who are Welsh will tell you - you cannot go to Wales and not find Black Dragon. Its not that it is impossible to find in other places, just a lot harder; although they do supply a lot of beer festivals, so I guess you could just find it at one of those.

Now, Gwynt y Ddraig are one of those companies who are bordering on what I see as the middle market. As far as I see, the cider industry is split into 3 segments: There are the largest companies - those who  treat cider as a commodity - Magners etc. Into that category I would also shove those who don't truly make cider but call their drinks cider anyway ('cos it doesn't damage the the market, does it!??!)

In the middle of the market, I see companies like Thatchers, etc.. this is where companies like Henney's, Gwynt y Ddraig, maybe Perry's etc. starting to impact). This is still large scale but retains more tradition and passion for cider than mere commodities. That isn't to say they don't make a profit... that would just be bonkers. But its not all shareholders etc.

At the small scale end - or what Julian Temperley of Burrow Hill refers as the 'artisan' end of the market there is a growing number of small, artisan producers. You will often find that these ciders are nearly always full juice, traditional and range from the sublime to the undrinkable.

OK. Having accepted that I am on my soap box today, I'd invite cider drinkers to stick their pin in that map of the market and say what is the best (or only) way to go? Its tricky. The bigger a producer gets, the more need for consistancy and efficiency. Hence the options are fewer and the potential overheads much higher. So, some producers increase their volume with a little trickery. It doesn't necessarily make those ciders really bad - although often once you start watering things down. vamping up alcohol levels in order to cut etc. then flavourings and 'adjustments' creep in. However, figuring out what the tipping point is for all this is just plain difficult... and its easy to see how some slip down that particular slope.

Refocussing, I realise that this sermon has ridden roughshod over Black Dragons review. So lets start properly and say that is is nice to see traditional cider companies starting to take supermarket shelf position with ciders that are first rate, traditional and uncompromising.

Although it has a flashy label on the bottle, Black Dragon pours our a nice, lightly carbonated golden liquid that smells very deeply cidery and tannic. Although the sparkle persists, its a draught type of drink that seems to offer both sharp and sweet at the same time, with reasonably heavy tannins that cut through its medium dry status and provides a really pleasing flavour.

Saying that, the aftertaste seems to disappear a little quickly, although its clear that while there is sweetness to this drink, its needed to keep the tannins and dryness in check. There isn't stacks of acid, but you do get a sense that all the drink is made of is sider fruit. Yumm.

I could drink this cider all over again. Its one of those rare ciders to make it to my 'silver apple' list of ciders I would take to a desert island!!!:-) Well, if I only take the gold apple ciders I would be getting thirsty fairly quickly eh!

A score of 83/100.

Gwynt y Ddraig Yarlington Mill Cider

Yarlington Mill. One of my very most favourite cider apples. Along with Tremletts Bitter, Dabinett, Harry Masters Jersey (well most of the Jersey breed), Redstreak... OK, the list is fairly long. But its a great apple to work from!

As a single variety though. Hmmmm. Not the maddest of fans of SV cider (as anyone who has read any of the reviews about SV ciders will already know). It could work. It is more likely not to, unless it has been balanced. Sorry Gwynt, just my take on it. I have yet to be persuaded. Then again, I haven't tried this cider again. Its a shame though. I understand that they also do a Tremletts Bitter Single Variety too. Now that is worth a try - as anyone who has taken a bite out of a Tremletts knows - it should really really not work, but may be so odd as to be nice!

I know I have only just reviewed a Gwynt y Ddraig cider, but they were both in the shop... I didn't want to go trudging back again so soon... and as the last one was so good, I couldn't resist. I quite like being challenged, so lets see what I think.

Its a lovely golden colour with a hint of redness to it - typical of ciders made from Yarlington Mill. I have previously had a cider made from Yarlies that was positively glowing red! One thing I do notice straight away is that this cider has a pommeau smell to it. Could be as its so strong - at 7.2 its no weakling although I haven't come across other ciders with such a rich and deep smell as this.

Tasting it, there is rather more sharpness to it than I expected - although its taste of Yarlington Mill is very evident. Soft to medium tannins with an aromatic apple taste to it. Nice measure of tannins but with this mysterious acidity that I cannot figure out.

It does have rather a good character to it though (although very alcoholic too mind.  It actually warms in your throat and tummy... Goodness!) This drink is almost like caramelised cider - deep and velvety. I like it, although do think its been balanced out a bit on the acid side

I have always thought that Yarlies are a great addition to a cider blend - giving more to the cider than other, less classic apples. On its own, it is a strong flavour with medium but fairly significant tannins. Gwynt y Ddraig's cider has most of that going on. Aftertaste wise, I think the alcohol and warmth are the most distinctive things, although the tannin stays with you.

If you are exploring ciders, then this is worth trying. As a single variety... well, I kind of put money on it being more balanced than on its own - however, its a pretty darn good blend if it is... and if it truly is an SV, then I am surprised others are not making theirs to taste the same!

A score of 79/100. Very not bad indeed!

Gwynt y Ddraig Orchard Gold Cider

I consider myself lucky to have found this outside of Wales, although there are a few more artisan producers who are becoming more nationally available - including Gwynt y Ddraig.

I guess the most commonly heard question about the company (well, for me anyway) is "what does Gwynt y Draig stand for?". As for the answer? Well, I overheard a student serving at a local beer festival once say (with rather more confidence than he perhaps should have had) that it meant Dragons Fart. To put that in context though, he was trying to chat up several other drunk students at the time. In actual fact he was partly right - Gwynt can mean smell, flatulence and wind. I rather think that they mean Dragons Wind though. Still, I bet they never intended it to be a chat up line!

In all honesty, I am a little concerned about the 4.9% vol. of this cider as being a bit weak. Saying that, I dont have a problem and am sure it could still be full juice (or even mostly full juice) at that percentage.

Doesn't list ingredients on the bottle. Doesn't have to. But I wish people would start to.

Now for the serious stuff. Its a deep golden coloured cider, with minimal fuss of sparkle and a really nice deep apple aroma to it.

As a medium I am expecting it to be sweeter than I normally go for. This cider has a gentle cidery flavour. Really nice blend with a lot of individual character to it. The sweetness is in balance with the rest of the flavour but it is still a little too sweet.

Whilst I do get a little oak in here, its not off putting as some others tend to overdo it... in fact, I think it may have actually seen an oak barrel rather than a bottle of 'aroma of oak'. It is a gentle background to the main players of acid, tannin, sweet and... well, just a fully rounded cider.

Aftertaste is like a glow in the mouth. A nice finish to a really nice cider. Now, where is the medium dry/dry version of this????

81/100. A good Silver appley start for Gwynt y Ddraig.