Perry's Puffin Cider

My goodness... I am writing a review for a cider that I drank nearly three weeks ago! Well, I guess this will be testament (or not) to my record keeping! What I can say - as something of a spoiler - is that it is a worthy cider to follow my absence.

Well, I still haven't recovered my pad so I cannot continue the others yet:-)

Puffin cider is another of the Perry's bottle conditioned range - 'using small batch processes'. What this means is that it should be slightly sparkling with a crop of yeast at the bottom (not put there as some kind of artificial cloudiness or dead yeast addition).

Looking at it, this is the dry version, and at 6.5% its all it is claimed so far. I should add that I can also see the yeast settled at the bottom.

Sure enough, it has a low level sparkle and once out of the bottle I can see it is a lovely golden colour. It is rich smelling - a touch yeasty if I am being particularly picky but it feels mature and tannic.

The taste itself is dry - medium dry, but very melow and full bodied. There is some sharpness to it but mostly the experience is deep, fruity cidery notes. The tannin is quite low stated, but it does develop in the mouth to leave it a little drier in the finish.

The aftertaste is also low level and moderate in length. Overall, this is a lovely cider and well presented. And to think I was worried that Perry's might be going in the same direction as Orchard Pig... phew!

A score of 80/100 gives Perry's a silver apple for Puffin. Right up my street!!

Perry's Barn Owl Medium Dry CIder

This is another one of those cases where I think I have tasted all a producer has to offer and sit back on my laurels... only for them to release a new one. Or is it? I have tried their 'Farm Pressed' Dry and Medium before now... have they simply re-labelled it with a stamp bearing the name of a bird?

I think they probably have - although lets not forget Orchard Pig who 'rebranded' and lowered the quality of their cider (in my opinion). At 6.5%, its about the same as the others... and it will be a different year from the others too - so its going to be interesting (and I can never say no to a Perry's cider, can I?)

Once poured out it appears nicely golden, clear and rather highly sparkling... though I am not sure if it has been stood around a while to condition further in the bottle.

The smell is rich and delicious - it certainly hasn't lost anything in the filtration. The bubbles help to push the aroma up your nose: spicy, fruity with a deep country/farm thing going on. It really is quite a meaty smell.

To taste, I am getting a nice blend of fruitiness with some tannin and a background acid. It is well balanced, although it is too sweet for me personally (definitely not a medium dry). It is also a slight touch on the watery side. Going on through the bottle, I would think that there is a good amount of Kingston Black in here, which could be what is providing the background acid... though don't take that as definite! The acid is very moderate (but more pronounced in the aftertaste).

I think the tannins are softened by the sweetening to a big degree although, like the rest of the flavour, it develops as you drink.

The aftertaste is moderate to long and is pleasant.

On the whole, I am impressed (as usual) with Perry's. Right at the top end of my sweetness though, which is a bit of a shame as it is only meant to be a medium dry. As an afternote, I noticed that there was a bit of yeast at the bottom of the bottle - which could explain the highly carbonated cider coming out of it!

A score of 76/100 earns a bronze - which checking back maintains the Perry record with Cider Pages!

Perry's Somerset Tremlett Cider

Aha, someone else has had a go at making cider solely from Tremlett's Bitter. A brave company? Well, I should be able to judge these more accurately soon - I have a gallon of single variety Tremletts Bitter cider... just finished fermenting and now maturing in bottle. In a few months I hope to be able to add a little addendum to each of the SV's that I have tried from my own experience.

Actually, its not just Tremlett's. I have a Dabinet, Kingston Black, Harry Masters Jersey, Yarlington Mill, Michelin and, for whatever reason that seemed good to me at the time, an Egremont Russet. A gallon of each, all now fermented and resting until I cannot resist the tasting any longer:-)

Anyway. Perry's is one of my more favourite producers of cider, so I expect them to do this justice... all barring the fact that they have sweetened this to a medium. Perhaps it was a difficult SV and sweetening it rounded the edges off a bit!

One point about this cider before I review it. Its more for Perry's than anything. Whilst I *think* I understand the concept that Tremlett's make a full bodied cider, I do struggle with the idea that Tremlett's makes a full bodied medium cider (which it says on the label). It doesn't. The sweetening makes it a full bodied medium cider... unless I am just being pedantic and touchy with the 'sweet apples make sweet cider' fallacy! However, given that my last post was about sweetening and attempting to dispel the concept that sweet apples make sweet cider as the garbage it is, I hope you will allow a little pedancy:-)

It is a golden and bright cider, with a low to medium carbonation on pouring. This settles down pretty quickly and, shoving it under my nose it has a deep and tannic smell that is very typically Tremletts. Nice, but I expect it to be a challenge! I am really not getting much acid from the smell either - again, this is what you should expect from the apple that I have previously described as a condiment... it is so tannic in good years that it is inedible.

The taste is very interesting. Don't expect a balanced cider - a Tremlett cider is not going to give you that - and its clearly not what Perry's are after here. Wow. That taste tastes me back to last autumn! This is pretty much all Tremletts Bitter. The sweetening does have the effect of lifting the tannin so that the cider is only beyond dry. There is very little acid in here, although it feels a wee bit processed - again, this is to be forgiven in an all bittersweet cider - Without acid to balance, the cider may well hit problems such as ropiness  if it's not either adjusted or protected. In this case, I would definitely go for protected with filtering and pasteurisation over adjustment with additional acid... but the level of filtering Perry's have used doesn't hit the deeply tannic nature of the cider too hard.

The aftertaste is long and tannic too. In fact, this cider is all about the tannin and western fruity flavour that goes with it. Stacks of character and quite unusual, I wouldn't put it among the greats on the basis that it is, after all, a single variety. However, if my version tastes this good then I will be happy (and unlikely to share it:-)

A good silver apple for this Tremletts cider with a score of 88/100. I was in danger of giving a gold to a single variety there:-)

Perry's Farm Pressed Dry Cider

I have to say (in my most objective way) that I have been looking forward to this cider. And having spent the day playing with cider its just what I need to settle down to:-)

Pouring it out, its a lovely golden colour and (whats this?) it looks a bit hazy... I am going to have to let it settle a bit as the fizz is a little more persistent than the other ciders. And the smell is deep and lovely - Somerset cider apples leaping out with lots of body. It smells dry - so is it?

One word before I taste this. I am impressed. I generally try not to heap stacks of praise on cider makers themselves (although at the artisan end of the market the product is most definitely a reflection of its maker). However, when a larger producer actually takes the time and care to control the end result like this it is a good sign. I don't mean that they personally bottle it - more that they actually differentiate and control how much filtering goes on; restricts the amount of carbonation etc. It appears to me that Perry's do all these things and its a good thing!

Now. Lets try it. Nicely dry, although not wildly so. They have balanced the acid and tannin pretty well and the flavour persists because of it. The tannins themselves are pretty harsh and drying. The acid is quote sharp too and counters the tannin well. However, the drying in the mouth is still there.

Neither of these things disrupt the background flavour and profile of the cider though - it is far too easy to go in too heavy with a dry cider. And there is something; yes, cider ferments to dry and therefore dry cider is the easiest cider to make. However, its also where the cider is most starkly revealed for what it is - tannin and acid, if done wrong, are easy to spot. And lack of body (mainly with desert apples) is hard to hide. So, in some ways a dry cider is much harder than a sweeter one, or one where carbonation can hide the faults a bit.

The aftertaste lingers well and is mostly drying, although I can still get the apple flavour from it.

This cider is really well done. For all that, I do think it could use a touch more character to it - perhaps a dominant variety. Mind you, that is really picking hairs so really I should just shut up and enjoy it...

90/100 is a well deserved gold apple for Perry's. I like this a lot:-)

Perry's Somerset Redstreak Cider

Perry's are doing rather well on here at the moment. No, its not favourtism, its just that their cider are really very good. Having said that, the blends are winning against the single varieties... and rightly so (as I have so often said, blends are best when it comes to apples).

So we have another single variety Perry's cider to try this evening. Somerset Redstreak is a mild bittersweet apple. This means it should have gentle (not overbearing) tannin with little acidity and a fruity taste... a bit like it says on the bottle, "light and fruity medium cider"... Forget the medium bit - that has got nothing to do with the Redstreak. Remember and repeat - all ciders ferment to dry naturally unless back sweetened of halted in the process. And if this cider was halted in the process (e.g. by keeving), then I would be paying a lot more for a bottle of this cider and it would come in a champagne bottle! Note to self - stop banging on about sweetness!

Its a lovely golden colour, and does have a particular smell that you don't get with blends. After all, ciders are only a sum of their parts, and the Redstreak must have a distinct flavour and smell about it. The carbonation is low, so there are few bubbles to contend with too. Looking good so far.

And the flavour is delicious. I can tell it is nearly a proper SV cider, although there is far too much acid in here for the Redstreak to be on its own. Whether this is another sharp to help out, or an adjustment of acid I have no idea. And lets not be too heavy on Perry's for this. Its one of the reasons I am not particularly convinced by single variety cider... so many are (or have to be) adjusted.

The taste is fruity and gentle with a good dose of tannin, albeit understated and mild. The Redstreak is a very good cider apple, and this is a good demonstration of single variety cider.

The aftertaste is fruity and nice. And quite long too.

Am I convinced about single varieties yet? No. I think they need playing with to get them right. Its not that playing with cider is necessarily bad, just that its not strictly an SV then is it?

Another bronze apple for Perry's with 78/100.

Perry's Somerset Dabinett Cider

Working my way through the Perry's cider range, I come to a cider that I think was on my list of favourites from a very early cider stage. I say that its on my list of favourites, it was always a bit of an odd one - it was one of the very few single variety ciders that I actually liked. Now, coming to cider as someone who actually makes some I understand why: the humble Dabinett. It is a superb bittersweet apple - very similar to Harry Masters in look and taste, but blends are all the better for having a good dose of it!

Pouring out, this cider is a low carbonation, with a nice golden colour and the familiar dabinett smell to it. Whilst it is bright, which = filtered in my book, it is appetising.

The taste is all tannic bittersweet - good body with a drying taste to it. Its been sweetened though to give it its medium/sweet monika... I have to say I think this dumbs it down a little and as a result I don't get all the complexity (its all covered in whatever has been used to sweeten it with). If this is to make the drink more accessible then it is a shame, although I do understand; unfortunately the pace of cider is set by those who use rather a lot less actual apples than Perry's do. As a businessman, I understand the need to sell the stuff. As a drinker, I do wish that they would offer a more naturally dry alternative.

Because of this treatment, the aftertaste wanes rather fast and leaves a sweet taste in the mouth. I do think its a real shame that cider makers need to sweeten cider to make it acceptable to the drinkers. I know people are after sweet things these days but it would be nice to think that some things can be left alone for tastes sake. And no, I am not going to start a career as a celebrity chef... I just agree with them about this!

OK, bashing the idea of pandering to the punter aside, this is a good cider. Its definitely one of the better SV's out there! With a score of 79/100 it gets a bronze apple from me. Now you don't get that on 'rate beer'!!!:-)

Perry's Premium Vintage Cider

I have been looking forward to this cider - Vintages seem to always be the best of a producer and I have noted that Sheppy's, Westons, Thatchers all do corking good vintage blends! Generally, however, they are dry - au naturale you could say. Perry's version is described as a medium, which although unusual I guess it may be that it needs it to get the most out of it... hmmm.

Saying that, this is a proper vintage. The cider is held in wooden barrels  for 12 months before bottling. This kind of maturation should round off the tannins and lower any acidity within the drink. I guess by doing it in wood they are aiming for am oaky flavour. Mind you, the bacteria that cause an MLF (malolactic fermentation) - the process that rounds off a cider and gives it sometimes a vanilla flavour are often more easily obtained in wooden casks than stainless steel or plastic.

One niggle. Perry's. Please drop the Premium from the name! The term premium has been so abused by supermarkets, mass produced ciders/wines/lagers - well, anything that has a marketing team attached. As far as I can tell, 'Premium' has no value and doesn't mean what it ought to mean (i.e. the best of something).

On to the drink. As with the rest of Perry's ciders so far, the initial fizz very quickly gives way to an almost flat drink. It is also a lovely golden colour, albeit bright and filtered. The smell is a lovely vintage nose though; gentle and tannic and western.

And so on to the taste. It does have a lot of body to it, mainly in the form of an excellent balance between sharp and tannin, but also the fruit is mature and, well, all the bits complement each other. This is a first rate vintage - the medium is more or less knocked dry by the tannins and you don't get a lot of sweetness back from it. This cidery taste is long and satisfying... well into the aftertaste!

Thinking about it, there is a hint of sweetness as you sip, but the drying body of the cider soon catches it up and, well, thats it. A fabulous drink and I do actually think probably top of the Vintages for me (lets just forget the premium bit eh!)

I totally recommend this cider - I must go and get another one!! It scored 93/100, so that is a gold apple for Perry's and my desert island drinks list gets a little longer:-)

Perry's Morgan Sweet Cider

Perry's Morgan Sweet is described thus: "The Morgan Sweet apple produces a sweet cider with a strong persistently fruity flavour." Ummm. Now, I am not going to pretend to be as much of a ciderist as the Perry guys but I would like to set one thing straight about this before I have even tried it. Sweet apples do not produce a sweet cider. If you want to halt the fermentation to produce a sweet cider, or if you want to back sweeten a cider, then that is how it would be done. Sweet apples ferment to dry in the same way that all other apples do.

More and more cider makers are putting sweet apple = sweet cider and I find this misleading and (to be quite frank) bloody annoying. Note to cider makers. Please stop it! I know its a niggling thing, but marketing can really nark me when its just trying to be clever!

The apple variety, Morgan Sweet is an old cider apple variety which is classed as 'sweet'. What that means is that it has a lot of sugar and very low acid in its makeup. As a cider variety, I would also expect it to have a modicum of tannin to it as well. It was/is popular in Somerset... which would make sense as that is where Perry's are based. It is also a pretty early apple.

OK. Apples aside. I have the bottle open and there is no holding me back now:-)

Sure enough, the fizz is there to start as a flourish but settles down quickly to next to nothing. Getting your nose into the glass whilst the bubbles are working does help with the aroma a bit (generally), and this has a light cidery smell that is appealing.

On the taste, there are some gentle tannins with very little acid to counter them (in this case that is probably a good thing as the tannins are very subtle). Its rather nice actually - not too sweet, but more than a medium dry. In the mouth it is fairly tamed to the taste - there is nothing wild about this cider and it is all very civilised.

I cannot help but criticise the single variety-ness of it though. Sure it is an interesting cider that is different from quite a few ciders. However, if I am being honest with things, I would almost go as far as to say its a very nice Magners. This is by no means a bad thing though - if Magners drinkers could turn on to this cider, which is going to be pretty much full juice then their journey to more individual and crafted cider realms would be fairly well assured.

The aftertaste is pleasant, which sums the cider up for me. Pleasant. Doesn't knock my socks off, doesn't really challenge me or need me to do much work with it.

Would I drink it again? Yes. It scored 70/100. This is in my opinion quite a harsh scoring and I may think about coming back and trying it again at some point soon. However, it hits the bronze apple list which I think is about right. However, the next time I see "sweet apples = sweet cider" on a label, its getting docked 5 points! (and this cider proves you don't always need clever statements - the cider more than speaks for itself!)

Perry's Farm Pressed Medium Cider

Now here is one of the medium/big producers that I feel I have missed so far... and a trip down to Dorset soon sorted that out:-)

Perry's are on the cusp of being a Sheppy's/Thatchers sized business - they are certainly all over the place (although they are not actually from Dorset - they are based near to Taunton in Somerset). Their farm is worth a visit too, and if you time it right (i.e. you just about missed it now) you can see the milling and pressing of apples from the comfort of the cafe just across the yard. Now, a farm with a cafe... very modern!!

So, why start with the medium? Well, I confess its not the only one I have (I actually think I bought just about all of their current range bar the Perry... though thinking about it I should have done!) But its the one that I fished out first, so there you go.

Pouring it out, it positively glows - golden and even a little reddy amber coming out too. All too often I put that down to Yarlington Mill, though I suspect its not the only variety to have this effect. At first the carbonation is quite large but this soon settles down to a gentle bubble - so the description on the bottle is bang on.

The smell is all cidery and lovely too. Its a little on the light side - its also a bright cider so I suspect a touch of filtering has removed some of the rawness of it. And to taste; bittersharp and bittersweet apples in roughly equal measure. It has a fantastic tannin that is just a little hidden behind the sweetness. Mind you, don't think that its going to ba a strong sweetness, as there is an awful lot going on in this blend - and the sweetness by no means has it all its own way!

The aftertaste is just more of the same loveliness. Its a really good cider and makes me want to go straight on to the dry version!!

My only comment has to be the 5% level. To my mind a touch light but I guess there is no problem in this. It doesn't matter in any case as it scored 81/100 which grants it a silver apple!