Tricky Cider Company Tricky Cider

OK, back to Somerset. Well, sort of. Ticky Cider is based in Taunton, so in reality on the edge of Somerset, Devon and not that far from Dorset. Mind you, geography was never my strong point so I could be a little wrong. Anyway, a quick visit to their website reveals that Tricky Cider is run by two chaps on an artisan scale - they even have a mobile cider bar... handy that - I want one in my garden!!

So, whats ths first thing I notice about this cider then. Well, sorry Tricky - crap label! I like the idea - clear bottle with a clear label to show off the cider in a full, true way. Only problem is that clear labels rarely work on a clear bottle. I know this, I have tried it myself. Its hard to read and doesn't do the cider justice 'cos you have to get just the right light to read the information! I do like the design - its a little conceptual though - is that meant to be Eve's legs in the apple or is it just a pair of legs in an apple? Hmm. perhaps its 'apple twister'?! It would certainly be 'tricky':-)

Its a 6% medium dry cider which from the outside of the bottle looks bright and clean and golden. Maybe I am just being a snob about the clarity - I certainly don't want foggy cider... OK, I will settle for being hard to please.

On opening, it has a bit of a fizz - moderate to high I would say, although it does settle a bit in the glass. It has a deep, aromatic cider smell and I can tell just by the smell that they use a lot of bittersharps. It IS very bittersharp to the taste. Stacks of well rounded tannin together with a good sharp bite make this cider very individual in style. The acid is right at the forefront and I have to say must be what they were aiming for. The tannins are pretty drying in the mouth though - odd considering that the tannic side to this cider sits more in the background. But very nice all the same.

It has a long aftertaste, with the two parts mellowing and the drying dying a little.

In summary, this cider has a great taste to it, albeit filtering probably makes it a little cleaner than it could be - but its only a little moderated. Very drinkable cider indeed. A score of 83/100 sees a silver apple for Tricky Cider. Lovely.