Seasons Cider Original

Seasons Cider - this is the first time I have come across this maker. The bottle looks well put together and it has a professional looking label too. Particularly I am curious to find out what 'A cider for every season' means... is it a range of ciders and how is it related to each season? Now, I cannot remember where I bought this cider - either the Bristol Cider Shop or else from a supermarket somehwhere.

So, in order to find out a bit more I figured I should do some Googling before I try it. I wish I hadn't! I am not known for my support of flavoured ciders... I have only tried one on here and that was not particularly inspiring (AND it was from a producer I respect). So, what does a cider for every season mean? Well, how about Original (the one I have before me), Pear (Pear Cider???!), Cranberry (for Christmas?), Raspberry and Orange (must be their 'Autumn' fruits... though why not just go with apple?!) and Elderflower (is that Spring then?).

Oh.

To give it some kind of due, this is produced in Somerset. Sadly, being produced in Somerset is no guarantee of it being a quality product - or anything other than a commodity; pandering to the latest Hooch drinkers with an fruit based alcopop which happens to bear the name 'cider'. Oh well. I guess it makes sense - why call a cider 'Original' unless you are competing with other ciders named 'Original' (Magners etc.)

So, as its there lets give it a go and see what gives.

Pouring this drink I notice it is a very light gold in colour and pretty fizzy. At 4.5% it has the 'Original' strength (or lack of it). The smell is rather funky - fruit drops rather than real fruit and all a touch chemically. Once settled I can say that the smell is still very juicy and boiled sweets.

The taste is, yes, sadly rather thin and checmically balanced between some very light levels of tannin and a gently light acid. It is also quite sweet, and this covers the thinness of the cider to some degree. It is fairly watery and I have no doubt in my mind that it is aimed at the commodity market. Why would it be anything else... the producer probably spent more time working out the fruit based ciders than actually getting a real cider right! Sorry, that was a bit flippant - but I find these ciders disappointing and merely chasing after the coat tails of others who do it on a larger scale.

The aftertaste is very short and not really noticeable or inspiring.

In all, this looks, smells and tastes like a commodity cider. It is not crafted or full juice and, as far as I am concerned anyway, doesn't really represent Somerset or its' cider makers. It got a score of 50/100, which is 1 more than Magners got... I think that is more by luck than judgement!