Now, I know a few people who really love this cider, and it is a fact that they are all women. No, I am not being a chauvanist... its just something I have noted about it. Having said that, I don't know if they are hardened cider drinkers per se, but it does suggest that Thatchers have successfully scored a hit with a particular maket place with this cider.
Katy (or Katja) is a dessert apple, not really known as a cider fruit, although I would have thought that it would be fairly sweet and low in tannin. So how come it has become a top selling cider (I am sure this must be one of Thatchers better sellers). I did hear rumour that Thatchers were offered a load that a particular orchard couldn't sell on - and it started from there. So good things can come about by chance eh!
This one opens with a fizz, although its not as bad as that - a medium carbonation is how I would describe it. It pours yellow and, once the fizz dies down, is nice and bright. The aroma is very sweet and fruity, though not really lemony or citrussy like other dessert ciders.
The taste is, however, what I am starting to expect from the larger producers... tamed. Not that I expected it to be a wild cider, but I would have thought there would be more acid to it. And where did that tannin come from? More than anything though it is sweet - I would say more than the medium dry description (although medium dry category does allow for quite a sweet cider). The sweetness is probably the one thing that lasts in the aftertaste.
I wouldn't call it one of my favourite ciders although I would like to see if there are other 'Katy' ciders out there to compare it against more objectively. Well, its either that or get one of my mates to review it... it would score much better than the 60/100 I gave it.
I tried this cider for the first time tonight, and found it to be delicious, not overly sweet, and with a pleasant aftertaste. I also happen to be male. I suggest cider-lovers of both sexes try this for themselves and make up their own minds.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment - it is always good to see a differing opinion (after all, who said my opinion wasn't worth testing!!) I think my main issue with Katy is that it has been played about with more than horrible - which just leaves it feeling safe, sweetened and uncharacteristic of the apple itself.
ReplyDeleteOne point - my reference to gender was simply an observation that all those I know who choose to drink Katy are female; not a comment on the nature of this drink.
Cheers
I'm just tasting it right now and it's not that bad. It's MUCH better than "Gold", and has a nice mellow feel about, but you are right - it's too sweet. And since I'm not female;) I'm really not that much into sweet drinks:) It feels safe, but the ABV is not safe at all:) And after the horrible (and I'm really sorry to say that!) Thistly Cross Whisky Cask cider I had last night, Katy tastes even better:) It will not make on the list of my favourite ciders, but as I said, it's not that bad.
ReplyDeleteLooking back at the review I am still Fairly convinced I did my best to be objective about Katy - its just not a cider that I would opt for.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you didn't like Thistly Cross - I did a review of their GBBF cider last year and, sadly, drew similar conclusions - although bear in mind that the sort of fruit you will get in Scotland is likely to predominantly be dessert apples... a lot of the really good spirit cask cider has plenty of tannin to compete with the spirit (dessert apples don't have tannin)
Cheers
I like the still Thistly Cross without any flavouring but the whisky Cask... You are right, it doesn't have any tannin, it's really sweet and the cask flavour dominates everything. You can hardly get any apple from the taste! I'm glad that I bought a 0,33 bottle not 0,5. So after that Katy tasted really nice, but I'm aware of it's flaws:)
ReplyDeleteI'm really looking forward to see some Thistly Cross reviews here:)
Cheers
Spirit cask cider is hard to get right; there are a few examples of good cider made within a spirit cask but I think in the majority of cases it is not right... not forgetting that there may be very little of it available in the future unless HMRC decide to allow it.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that maturation in oak does anything other than encourage a malolactic fermentation (where the rough edges are rounded off by bacteria). No doubt, some 'oak' ciders have a little assistance from within an 'oak flavouring' bottle too!
In the end, the cider you like is always going to be subjective - and its not wrong to like a commercial 'commodity' cider.
I think my main issue with this one is the character is not what it ought to be - Katy is a dessert apple and hence should not have any tannin... its also quite a timid cider too.
Cheers
I agree on that:) But I just turn my head the other way on this one and pretend it's not made out of dessert apples and just enjoy the taste:) But to be fair you are right - they played with Katy a bit too much. Maybe "Katy Rose" will be better. I'll try it some day.
ReplyDeleteWithout checking, I seem to recall there not being much difference between Katy and Katy Rose...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Struth... I have no doubt this is a popular cider - although I would disagree in that it is a sweet cider with a sweet aftertaste.
ReplyDeleteBut then, differing tastes are a wonderful thing!
This is the most amazing short night cider going. I generally move onto it after warming up with a few Stowford's. The thing you have to remember about it is that you can have three and be fine, but about half way down your fourth it all hits you at once and you cant stand up straight, walking becomes laboured and you have to hold onto things just to keep upright. Amazing drink but hits you like a train!
ReplyDeleteTry one glass of homebrew TurboCider. Pretty much the same effect.
DeleteI stopped brewing it. I gave my bottles appellations of Apple Amnesia, Head Wreck, Malus Aforethought and Mind Melter. The titles were most apt!