When in Rome, buy some of their cider. That is not a bad lesson to learn actually. I found this cider in a Tesco last weekend - its clearly not going to be in every Tesco (I could be wrong, but haven't found it elsewhere). Although selling 'local cider' is something that Waitrose started off, its nice to see other chains starting to look a little more locally for their produce.
One thing I noticed on the bottle is that it offers ingredients... a rare thing on any alcoholic beverage in the UK and is to be welcomed! Well, you want to know what you're drinking don't you:-) Saying that, it lists the ingredients as apples. No water (not a bit of it) and no sulphites. I do question whether Tesco's would allow this, but what do I know...
First appearance is that it is almost beyond straw colour - kind of pale yellow. It is also a flat cider which I personally prefer but may not be everyones cup of tea. On tasting, it is light, fairly acidic and well, well balanced really. There are very few (if any) cider apples in the drink, which isn't a bad thing (although the acidity does reign a bit too free for me personally)l. Its a bit watery too, which could be due to the type of apples (there is very little tannin to give it much body). I would say that this is one of the more extreme Eastern ciders that I have tried.
Still, its not a bad cider, and being able to buy it in a Tesco's is an achievement and Mr Whitehead should get a pat on the back for that alone - seeing artisan cider makers in supermarkets, even if only locally, is a very good thing indeed. So if you see it, I encourage you to buy it!
Heart of Hampshire scored 65 out of 100. Not an apple, but nothing to be frightened of (and I believe it is a high juice, heritage cider!)
No comments:
Post a Comment