Broome Farm Blossom Cider

 I am still trying to clear the decks of some ciders that I bought last year, so I have no idea whether you can still get this cider, or whether it will be made again for 2013. It was one of a few 'specials' that I found at Broome Farm last summer but which sat on my cider shelf.

Still, if it is never to be seen again I guess I am lucky to try it and record it on here for posterity. Mind you, I'm not sure I would always count myself lucky to have tried 'special' cider's - Last year I could have quite happily missed one or two without losing much (not wishing to be too picky, but the Diamond Jubilee special was among those I could have skipped). Still, this one is from Ross on Wye Cider Co., which have proved very competent cider makers - so I am looking forward to it. I must confess that I had saved this one like some kind of magic remedy should I go through a run of bad ciders.

One thing I find quite fun about these ciders is the printed out labels that are on the bottle. In reality, printing your own labels is never going to be cheaper (per label) than getting them done professionally... well, if you get 500 labels at a time that is. However, printing your own is a lovely idea for small producers or small batch runs as it shows the makers creativity - after all, you can design your own label fairly easily and it can be changed simply (even if you have to sit there and feed the label paper in one at a time for hours on end just to prevent the printer from jamming!) What does this label tell me about Ross on Wye? Well, I think it shows that they like their pets:-) Be it an Alpaca, cats of several descriptions or a headless man (no, not the headless man), each are a novel touch and make the cider somehow more personal.

'Blossom' in this case is another alpaca. She (I assume Blossom is a name you give to a female alpaca) looks like a cheeky brown animal - peeking into the photo on the label. It's all very cute.

This is a medium dry, still cider that appears deeply golden in colour. It is also bright and looks filtered (not a spec of yeast even though it has been sat for a couple of months on my shelf!) Lets just hope that things aren't altered too much as a result!

In the glass it smells, well, beautiful! There is a mild and fruity smell to it which seems really nicely matured and bittersweet. The taste is mild and tannic with little acid going on. It is a very mature cider with aromatic tannins bringing the cider back down to dry from its medium dry start. Again, nicely done and although dry cider isn't for everyone this suits me fine. I have to say that the flavour develops as you progress through the glass and the taste does become a little intense after a while. Its definitely a cider for savouring as opposed to being a session drink.

The aftertaste is long and mild and quite dry too. Very fitting for a cider that grabs your attention right from the smell. And I know this is a little bit twee, but its quite a cheeky cider which seems to be reflected in the animal on the label... nice touch.

I like this cider and am glad to have found it. As with some of the other Ross on Wye specials, I have no idea if this is a cider that will be available in 2013. All I can tell you is that Broome Farm are a set of very safe hands if you are looking for a decent cider!

The score of 84/100 sees another silver apple go to Ross on Wye Cider and Perry Co.