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:-)

Cider101 - Sweetening

Before I get into the practice of sweetening cider – the options available and the reality to the drinker – let me clear up one very important thing. If you are drinking a medium dry, medium or sweet cider in the UK or USA the odds are that it has been sweetened. OK, some ciders are halted during fermentation – these will be called Cider Bouche, Methode Traditionelle, English Method or Keeved ciders. However, with the vast majority of ciders the fermentation has been allowed to go its full course, which means it starts as a dry cider. All the sugar in apples is fermentable (not so in pears… but that is another story).

The idea that sweet apples produce a sweet cider is nonsensical and can only be ascribed to marketeers, PR companies and idiots who have very little idea about the process of making cider. It is total and utter rubbish.

OK, that out of the way, what is sweetening your cider? Well, there are several options – in fact there are many options, but commercial cidermakers are restricted by those methods on Her Majesty Revenue and Customs list of ‘approved’ ingredients.

Firstly, there are the natural methods:

Apple Juice. This is a great natural way to sweeten a cider. However, apple juice contains fermentable sugar. So, if apple juice is used then pasteurisation has to take place (I am hoping that CAMRA read this so they can finally understand why pasteurisation can be a normal practice in cider!)

The use of juice is fairly widespread, although it is all too easy to overdo it. When overdone, the cider is left with a ‘juicy’ type of taste to it which overpowers some of the more subtle cider flavours.
There are a few who overdo it, though the obvious producer to point at is Westons (they are free to disagree).

Sugar. (generally Sucrose, Glucose or Fructose). Another natural method of sweetening a cider, as apple sugar contains all three in some degree. However, as with juice, all of these are fermentable and so pasteurisation needs to take place.

If I had a favourite method of sweetening, it would be sugars as these do not alter the flavour profile of the cider as much as the others. However, it requires some kit to pasteurise.

Halting fermentation. By far the method that demonstrates skill  - it is an art form in its own right.  This method is often called ‘keeving’ or ‘French method’ and you can spot it fairly simply – 750ml champagne bottles are often used and the cider will be around 4% (as a full juice cider).

There is a fairly big BUT though. The process is fiddly, fraught with problems and even if everything goes well with the process of reducing the nutrients (a halted cider is generally a cider where the yeast have very little nutrients to work with) there is no guarantee that the cider won’t continue to ferment out to dry. Why do you think champagne bottles are used?!

This kind of sweet cider is my favourite and is usually very good indeed.

Going back to the CAMRA jibe above, there is a serious point that they seem to miss in their understanding of what makes a 'real' cider or perry. By ruling out pasteurisation CAMRA rule out all the above methods of sweetening (effectively) as they all require it to be stable (except naturally halting, which is very hard to do). Unless, of course, CAMRA prefer exploding containers!

Those out of the way, lets turn to the more common forms of sweetening for artisan/craft producers - the artificial sweeteners. These are used in cases where producers don’t have the right equipment to deal with more natural sweetening, or the inclination to pasteurise, filter or whatever.

Sucralose. This has gained in popularity rapidly since it managed to get on the HMRC list. The same stuff you will find in sugar free cola (etc.), sucralose is an immensely powerful sweetener. It is, on the whole, a stable sweetener without too much of an aftertaste. However, I have to say that if not done very sensitively it can be tasted and will alter the flavour of a cider.

Aspartame. Not an ideal candidate for sweetening as it is only stable in cider for a couple of weeks, and has an odd aftertaste – and there are better alternatives

Saccharin. The worst of the lot – it should be confined to the bins of history as it leaves a bitter aftertaste and a number of people are allergic to it. Still, some traditional producers continue to use it… and even argue that it is ‘traditional’. Hmmm

Lactose. Yes, its a form of sugar, but is basically unfermentable. I cannot say that I have come across this type of sweetening in a commercial cider (and indeed, must owe any knowledge I have of it to Andrew Lea and his book, "Craft Cider Making"). However, it is not as sweet as sugar and leaves an odd aftertaste so I suspect is not widely used.

So there you go; sweetening in as few words as I can manage. I should point out the obvious – sweetening cider is not a sin in itself. Doing it badly, for me, verges on it (as someone who prefers the drier ciders). Claiming that sweet apples make sweet cider is a sin, however, and those who push this falsity should be banned from ever having any involvement in cider marketing and be made to stand in front of the entire cider making community to apologise and have cabbages thrown at them.

Burrow Hill Somerset Cider Brandy (5 years old)

It is time now to crack open the first of my haul from the last trip to the Bristol Cider Shop. And what a way to start than with the much lauded 5 year old cider brandy from the Somerset Cider Brandy Company (aka Burrow Hill).

Having tried the 3 year old, which is a little rough around the edges, but retains a great cidery character, I am expecting this to be much more Calvados like (if I am allowed to say that); smoother, less cidery and with new/interesting flavours which come through the extra time in the barrel.

You will notice that I played the cheap-skate card once again and bought the smaller bottle. Actually, it was primarily so I could afford more choice (and one of those includes the Burrow Hill 'Cider Bus' cider). Never-the-less, it serves my budget (and diet) well to not have too much of it!

Not surprisingly, I have had to 'adjust' my scoring for this on the basis that it's not cider. It's what I have done for this kind of tipple before now - and it should measure up with the rest of the reviews (hopefully). As before, I have averaged the tannin and acid scores with the rest of the scoring - this is only fair given that i) I have a scoring system that needs a score in those boxes for it to make sense and ii) you cannot expect Calvados, Cider Brandy, Pomeau etc. to be a style where these things add up in the same way as cider. I hope that makes sense!

It is light in colour, and, giving it a minute in the glass to really get the smell going it is really different from it's younger relation. Having said that, I am still getting an apple fruity smell from it - so it hasn't lost all the cider credentials. There is also plenty of oak in the smell too (it has had five years to acquire it!) However, it is more distilled in smell than the 3 year old. With a strong alcoholic aroma that is not that removed from a malt whisky (though the profile is lighter and more fruity).

The taste is great. This is much more Calvados like and the edges really have started to come off it. The brandy is smooth and warming, whilst the apple flavours linger and develop. Forget tannin and acid, this is much more complex than that... in fact I am hunting for the words to describe it properly: lots of oak, a hint of cider, vanilla and cream notes with (and this is a bit surprising) an earthy flavour too. This is smoother than most Calvados I have tried (although I would still put it on a pancake (that's crepe for the French:-)

The aftertaste is mostly warming, although the creaminess of the cider brandy lingers at the back of the tongue and in my cheeks. There. How did I do with those descriptive terms? And I didn't have to Google any of it!

This is better than the 3 year old, which is a petulant child compared to this 5 year old version. They do say that there is a peak age for whisky - I believe its the 18 year old incarnations. The 30 year olds are more for those with big wallets than really as examples of excellence (hey, that is just my opinion!) I do wonder what the peak age is for cider brandy/calvados? For me, that question is going to end up costing me as I will now need to venture towards the more expensive and older versions. I suspect the 10 year old is going to be the 'peak'... but don't forget to look at the 5 year old - it is really excellent.

Dorset Nectar Medium Cider

My last cider at the Euston Cider Tap was a medium, from a producer I have heard a bit about and know/trust to be producing full juice ciders. In fact, I believe their medium cider has won several accolades over the last few years, so to some degree it was a safe pair of hands to redeem the evening and leave the Tap with a pleasant cider taste in my mouth.

The choice in the Tap is very ecclectic, ranging from many counties and including overseas ciders. They have a Normandy cidre that I intend to try next time I am there, and an American cider which, if it hadn't been for the £8 price tag I would have tried.

Dorset Nectar are a fairly new producer hailing from the Bridport area of Dorset. They make cider from fruit that used to head to Gaymers (or Bulmers... can't remember which) and they have regularly won things - from Bath and West Show cider competition to 'Powerstock' (the Dorset cider showcase).

Now, this cider falls into the still cider category at the Tap, and it comes out golden, hazy and slightly fizzy. This isn't that much of a problem, although I do wonder how it is stored in order to come out as fizzy!

The smell on this is tannic and interesting. Some fruit is in there, and it comes across as a typical west country smell. To taste, it is very interesting. There is a lovely fruity tannin running through it with distinctive acid tones that cut through the tannin and fruit to give this cider some really nice character. Don't ask me how I know this, but I suspect the acid is coming from Porters Perfection, a bittersharp apple which is gives a medium to full sharp juice. There is plenty of that going on, but not so much that the rest of the profile doesn't come through in buckets.

I like this cider. It does have a slightly oily/petroleum note in it that must come from the Porters, although its not off-putting and I have experienced this before with west country ciders.The sweetening is definitely medium, and there is a faint artificial hint to it which suggests that it could be sucralose (it isn't that noticeable and is not bitter or funky). However, the cider does bear it well... I wouldn't want to try the sweet version though!

With a long, tannic aftertaste, this cider lasts and stay's as a fruity, cidery taste... I think I even got to the train with the taste in my mouth... so it definitely stays with you:-)

A really good cider, and I recommend visitors to the Euston Cider Tap to give this one a go. It scored 83/100, which is a silver apple for Dorset Nectar.

Lilley's Firedancer Medium Cider

Lilley's. They are a bit of a mystery - both to me and within the cider industry. Do they actually make cider or simply relabel it? Are they Broadoak by another name? Will their cider be full juice or just another cider concoction where the advertising doesn't quite match the practice?

I know some people have got a real bee in their bonnet's about Broadoak. It was rumoured earlier this year that they no longer exist. I am not sure of the truth in this, although I seem to recall it is all just a change of management and a renaming of product... it is all a bit unclear to me. And so, for my second cider at the Euston Cider Tap I figured now would be a good time to try a Lilley's for the first time.

Oh, and in answer to the questions above, I do not believe Lilley's actually make cider but relabel Broadoak ciders - although that is a bit of an educated guess (you could always call them and ask them... OK, I say that knowing that someone has and didn't get a straight answer).

Fortunately, I am writing this review up from the comfort of home, having already done the objective bit of actually trying the cider:-)

Firedancer comes from the 'Sparkling' cider list, so comes to me fizzy and actually quite hazy. This is their medium version, so I was expecting it to be filtered and pasteurised. It doesn't give off a whole load of smell in the glass - even for a sparkling cider. I am getting some low level cidery notes, although not so much bitter or tannic.

The taste is a little surprising. It lacks any real tannins and is rather sharp in the mouth... there really is quite a lot of acid going on. However, it is like a fizzy golden drink of flavoured water - rather bland and lacking any huge amount of character to it. OK, there is a tiny bit of tannin going on but you do have to hunt for it. Its just sweet and, well, sweet.

The aftertaste is pretty short too.

To some degree, I kind of expected this from a Broadoak cider. However, I am glad I have tried it - perhaps I should seek out a named Broadoak cider to try against it and compare. It scores 55/100, which is no apple and a disappointing 0/2 for my latest visit to Euston Cider Tap.

Snail's Bank Dry Cider

I am nothing if not lucky. I get to travel about a bit for my work. This time, a trip to London presented a chance for a few quick glasses of cider at the Euston Cider Tap. To be honest, its really just a way of letting rush hour pass before running to catch my train... although that sounds like an excuse!

A few things have changes at the Tap since I was last there. The most obvious is the gigantic chalkboard displaying the list of 16 ciders and perries that they have on offer. The other chance that was possibly more informative was the sheer number of medium and sweet ciders compared to the very limited dry choice. I guess that says a lot about Londoners drinking habits - you are not going to change them into cider drinkers over night! Mind you, at least it was all made from apples and pears... not a blackberry in sight.

I also noted a distinct Broadoak tendancy within the list. I know some that will be unhappy at this - although I think the time of year is not great for a broader choice. However, you don't have to drink the Broadoak or Lilley's... there are other ciders on. Mind you, I am due to return in a few weeks and will end up reviewing them if the list remains the same (well, that or chicken out and go to the Bree Louise instead:-)

To start with, I thought I should try a cider that I have never even heard of before. Snail's Bank Cider Company (or snailbank cider, as the Tap calls it) is a producer from Herefordshire that really doesn't have much of a web presence at all. Search for them and you will only find the Ratebeer site - which describes cider producers as cider beer brewers. Nice - enough to make me think its a CAMRA conspiracy (ha ha ha).

As I tend to, I ordered a half - well, responsible drinking and all that!!. Its a flat, golden and bright. At 5.2 it seems to be a full juice cider, although this couldn't be confirmed - I guess I was happy but I suspect others will require more proof.

There is very little smell to it. That could be just because the Tap is a fairly cold venue, but more likely it is because there isn't much smell and the fact that it is still doesn't help.

Now, this is not a dry cider. Its a medium. Its a very juicy medium too - so it has been sweetened, filtered and pasteurised... the usual. The taste is clean - too clean in fact - it doesn't really taste of much at all except juice, with a hint of tannin and a very dull acid that lurks in the background.

I don't really buy into this drink so much as work my way through it. Don't get me wrong, there are no faults as such - it just comes across as a manipulated cider. The aftertaste is short and quite sweet.

I am sorry, Snail's Bank. I am not sure if it's me or the cider but I felt that there had simply been too much removed from the cider to make it great. It scores 58/100.

Cornish Orchards Vintage Cider 2010

I really hope this is going to be a proper vintage! I am not one of those cider fundamentalists who think that every cider has to be put into stereotypical boxes or else... each cider producer is free to translate their ciders as they will. Some would call a 6 month old cider a vintage; others would want to give it a full 12 months before doing so.

Its the same with many other aspects of cider production... many covered by the cider101's. As a producer, you just have to stand  by what you put out to the public. If its marketing/pr covered crap, then that's what it is... I won't judge you... just your ciders. You have to live with what you do.

Now, what would I class as vintage? Well, personally it means it is aged - and aged well. Certainly I don't think a cider reaches vintage quality before the following season of pressing. That is why I feel it is special. Other cider makers will have different feelings about that - its why cider making is as much art as it is science! But please don't preach telling others that one way of thinking is right... that's not how the world works:-)

So, having established that I personally feel that a Vintage cider out currently needs to come from at least the 2011 pressing, this is a vintage from a year earlier. Its not the last Cornish Orchards I have to try. I have a “Pear Cider” of theirs, for when I am feeling brave enough to start taking on the perries of this world (don’t worry, I will make sure it goes first so that I can bang on about it being called pear cider:-) However, this is the last of their ciders on my shelf and I have deliberately saved it till last as a treat to me.

Cornish Orchards describe this cider as having; “soft tannins and traditional flavours”. We shall see. It also says it has a moderate sparkle, and this is bang on the money, with it being a lovely golden colour – bright and a bit fizzy.

I am getting some fairly strong tannin in the nose of this cider – though having had the benefit of recently trying some of their other ciders I can say it seems typical. Another Devonian style of cider – that is what I am expecting.

True to type, there is some really good tannin going on here – fruity and deep. It also has a lovely level of acidity to it; sharp and yet rounded – what you would expect from a 2 year old cider! This cider really does demonstrate what Vintage is all about (as with the Green Valley before it). It is all about maturation and good storage. Mind you, with both the last vintages I could have done without the filtering and pasteurisation. I do like smokiness from my vintages. I am not sure what it is, but it makes for a richer experience. Whilst this has a touch of it, this is where the filtering takes the whole thing down a peg or so. I am sure that Mr/Mrs/Miss Cornish Orchards keeps the unfiltered stuff for themselves:-)

The aftertaste is short to moderate, although the tannins stay with you for ages. I do like this cider. It is a very good example of both vintage and Devon cider. It’s a shame it has been handled a little more harsh than I would like. Still, with 87/100 it’s a really good cider to go for. Silver apple for Cornish Orchards.

NB – You know, perhaps I should invest in some cardboard bronze, silver and gold apples to post out… if nothing else, it would lead to some rather confused cidermakers eh!!!:-)