Sheppy's Goldfinch Dry Cider

I bet you thought that I had exhausted the range of Sheppy's ciders? Well, as I may have said once or twice before they seem to have an endless range and every now and again I spot a new one. Having said that, as far as the bottled varieties go I am fairly sure there are not many more to try. I say that without checking on their website, of course! Mind you, there are ciders and then there are varieties of ciders - for example, having the same blend of cider but dry, medium dry, medium etc. It kind of makes sense (if it is done well) although it makes more sense for larger producers than smaller ones!

I have some expectation of this cider, being the similar to Bullfinch but dryer. Again, it has an unusual label for the modern Sheppy's. A bit of a throw back but a nice image nonetheless. At 7% too its a good strength for a cider - just remember that in a 750ml bottle its a whole lotta alcohol!

Now, Goldfinch is a golden and uber bright cider and, whilst it says "slightly sparkling" on the label, expect a big ol' fizz when you pour it into a glass! Mind you, this dies off quite a lot once poured and settles down well. It is very bright though! The smell is slightly chemical but has some great cider flavour asides from it. No oakiness coming through (another feature of the label)... I may have to go off and sniff some oak to see what I should be picking up from it!!:-)

Bullfinch was good in my books. This is better. Saying that, its probably only because it is a dry version, so if a sweeter cider is your thing then feel free to disagree. They are both good ciders though. It has a deep cider flavour with lots of bitter sharp going on. The tannin is reasonably drying in the mouth although not excessively. I am persuaded that filtering removes a lot of the complexities of a cider and tannin seems to be one of the biggest losers in this. Understated is a word I would use to describe the earthy and tannic f;avours of this cider. The acid seems to be fairly good though, although compliments rather than competes with the tannin.

Goldfinch doesn't have a very long aftertaste to it, and it is slightly cleaner than it really ought to be. Still, this is not going to make or break the cider for me. It is very good and its just a shame that its so hard to find! I think I may have said the same about Bullfinch too!

Here is the thing. I scored this at 73/100, which a respectable bronze apple. Now I have written this up I figured I should check Bullfinch and, well, it also scored 73/100. So the system works... though I do prefer this version - its all a matter of degree's though eh.

Sheppy's Organic Cider

 

Another Sheppy's. I thought I had done all of them so either this is a new one or else one that I had failed to notice elsewhere. They are nearly as prolific as Thatchers eh! And this one is an organic. Well, if organic status is good enough for Westons (though they are now getting their organic fruit from the 'Wilde Woode':-), Aspalls and even Marks and Spencers (?!) then it must be good enough for Sheppys!

So, its got the labels and its even got an ingredients list (including the organic sugar and water... shouldn't that be organic water too? :-). Saying that, its all pretty good; the sugar and water means is that the alcohol content has been 'boosted' and then the resulted 'super cider' has been cut back to a given level. Pretty common amongst larger cider producers to be honest and, as far as I can see, is merely to increase the amount of cider made per apple... why not just press more of those organic goodies?? Remember, it could be a lot worse (though sometimes I do just wish...)!

A small political point related to cutting cider (see how easy it is to 'go off on one':-). There is currently pressure is on alcohol producers to i. pay far more tax than is reasonable in the vague hope that it will put a stop to binge drinking and ii. get the alcohol industry to commit to lowering the '% volume by a billion'. Add to this the upcoming 'minimum pricing per unit of alcohol (no, not the %, the amount of units contained) and you will find that many producers simply watering their cider to a lower percentage point. I cannot really blame just  the current government either, it started before them.

The first bit (duty/tax) currently affects beer worse than cider. This is clearly just a 'beer' tax cow for the government and cannot address drinking practices. My wish is that government realise they are killing the industry they are taxing (slowly but surely) and that they would be more honest about what they are trying to achieve (fat chance!) I ought to add to this that there are those within the beer industry (SIBA, in particular) who actively campaign to club cider in with beer under the misguided premise that it will make things fairer. As far as I can have seen, they misrepresent their case and often stretch their points to breaking point of logic. It is true that there is a difference in the two duties (thoough NOT to the degree that SIBA suggest). It is also true that the two drinks are entirely different (beer = brewed with lots of ingredients and processes and can be done constantly thoughout the year; cider = made from apples with simple ingredients and processes. Clobbering cider does not give beer a fair deal - beer ought to be able to get a fair deal for itself on its own merits. I would put one caveat - if they are after 'industrially' produced/white ciders - which have little to do with the slow/simple processes of full juice cider, then I can start to see some of their point.

The second bit (reduction in %) AND the third bit (minimum pricing) is that apples on their own gives a certain % alcohol. Although this can differ every year, and you can blend the varieties to lower the % there is only so much you can naturally do this. All things considered I would still expect to see a cider at about 5-6% even if its been controlled. The only way to reduce alcohol further is to cut the cider. Let me illustrate this: to reduce a 6% cider to 4% (i.e. 2% out of the billion) a producer needs to add about 34% water. As a producer, that is 34% more cider, but it's now 66% max juice content which will affect the taste and body. This can be chemically adjusted... down the slippery slope we go.I very much doubt that high end cider is responsible for binge drinking - I would suggest that has more to do with lagers, cheap wines, cheap spirits and white cider... oh, and of course all those promotions from supermarkets.

But then, the groups who make said tat and sell at low price are a far larger and more effective lobbying group than small brewers and traditional cidermakers.Why can't we just serve smaller measures and maintain the correct strength without the adulteration? Maybe as a nation we just aren't responsible enough!

Oh well, that has really taken up far too much space and run coach and horses through this review! Sorry Sheppy's, I ought to get back to the review eh!


Organic pours out golden and moderately fizzy. I have actually chilled this bottle (it says on the instructions - and I always follow the instructions... not!) I actually chilled it as I was expecting it to be fairly sweet. Mr Assumptions at the moment I am! It smells nicely tannic and cidery and the taste is deep and tannic. not a bad acidity to it as well - although the taste is somewhat short. Really quite pleasant with plenty of fruity apples going around in it.

The aftertasteis more of the same. Very well balanced and just a bit short on the length. It is as fairly sweet cider although my notes don't make a big thing of that (usually a sign that its too sweet). On sweetness, I seem to be coming across a few of these lately and I am still not swayed by it - it reduces the character and taste in a cider.

I am sure this cider is all the better for the organic badges:-) But then I am not sold by the organic badges. In its own right it is not a bad cider at all though maybe a little short in the mouth overall. For all that it scores a bronze apple at 73/100

Sheppy's Tremletts Bitter Cider

Aha. I have hunting this cider for a little while now. In my head, the Tremletts cider must be one of the most hardcore and off the wall of ciders; the polar opposite of a Bramley cider! Well, that is perhaps over stating it. A bramley cider would win in the hardcore ciders front as being nigh on undrinkable if found in full juice fashion (though I am happy to be proven wrong:-) I remember trying a Tom Putt cider at the Great British Beer Festival that was hellishly sharp... Bramley must be that times two. So you can get the idea how fascinated by a Tremletts cider I am:-)

Sheppy's describe this cider as having a 'high tannin content' - yeah, I'd say! I use Tremletts Bitter with great respect and to add some tannin to early dessert fruits (the Tremlett is an early bearer so balances out these thin desert apples really well). They do go on to say that this is the mark of quality... I do disagree slightly, tannin + character = quality. Just tannin and no character wouldn't make a vintage cider. Finally, Sheppy's say this cider is rich in flavour. Again, I am pretty sure it must be - as I have said, Tremletts is like a condiment (not my term, but one that is very appropriate!)

Its an inviting drink, although you can smell its west country heritage a mile off. It is rather nice though (if you have the patience to wait for the bubbles to subside a little - it is quite lively).

As for the taste, well, you know, I am getting a Tremletts taste in it which I am surprised to say is not bad at all! Having eaten one or two of these (taken a bite out of them I ought to say) there is a familiarity in this cider. Wow. Not bad at all. I have to say though that I do think it has to have been toned down a bit... well, quite a lot. That said, its a very good job it is.

The tannin really owns this cider, and there is little room for acidity (although there is a hint of it, which is a little hard to explain!). Even in the aftertaste, its tannin, tannin and more tannin. However, there is a distinct character to it which is pleasant to say the least.

Would I drink this again? Yes, most definitely. Will I be making a Tremletts cider next year to test against it... he he he... probably:-)

A score of 87 gives it a very surprising silver apple from me... still not convinced about single varieties though!

Sheppy's Taylors Gold Cider

Yet another of the Sheppy's single variety range - my they do a lot of them. Taylors Gold is actually made from Taylors Sweet, which is an early sweet cider apple.

Having said that, this is not why its a sweet cider - sweet apples do not make sweet ciders. Sweet apples (as in, high in sugar) make stronger dry ciders. All ciders end up dry unless there is intervention either before the cider finishes fermentation (i.e. keeving or low nitrogen) or after the cider finishes by sweetening. If that is done with sugar or apple juice, the cider will require pasteurisation to stop it refermenting. Alternatively, many cider makers these days add sucralose (recently allowed in commercial cider) or aspartame (more common than you might think!).

Anyway, the point is that although this is a medium cider, its almost certainly not because of the apple (though that is not to say that Sheppy's are not clever or skilled enough to halt a fermentation by keeving or reducing the nutrients somehow - they certainly are).

Sitting on the table in front of me whilst I write this, the carbonation has all but gone, and it remains a lovely golden colour - inviting! A fairly light cidery smell is also pretty welcoming. When I say light, I mean that I am expecting the tannin to be light and maybe even a touch of acid to it.

First taste confirms this. It is a lightly bittersweet cider. No sign of any real acids (well, I would not expect a sweet cider apple to contain much acid). So its true to its single variety pitching - but it is still fairly balanced. And sweet!

My word it is a little too sweet for my taste. I am sure there are many that would love it. Thinking about it in a market where sweet ciders are the most popular still, this must sit at the high end of that - its not obscenely sweetened and has a good character behind it. It makes some, where they are just sweetened to hit a market, a bit bland.

OK. Judgement. I like it. Not so much the sweetness, but I don't mind it at all. I think I have been fairly hard on Sheppy's so far, but there are a few than do really show off the skill of the cider maker.

A score of 79/100

Sheppy's Cider with Honey

OK, so technically this doesn't qualify as cider. Well, thats what HMRC says anyway! Its a made wine. Does that make sense? Well, in actual fact, this is a traditional drink in its own right - called cyser. And for that fact, I think it qualifies for a review (see,I don't go by the labels... although I suspect most people do).

I cannot think of that many producers of cyser these days - the fact that it doesn't qualify as cider under the rules laid down by government means that those who do sell it have to pay something like 3 times as much duty as on cider. So I guess the profits don't add up well enough. However, Sheppy's seem to produce a bit of everything so they are clearly the obvious producers to have a go:-)

I have tried cyser before - in fact, I have even made it before. The honey/cider mix makes for a delicate drink that is anything up to 2% stronger (a lot of sugar in honey!). This one sits at 5.4%, which is fairly weak (I would say) so I guess its gone through the usual processes and been controlled. Lets not judge it before its had a chance though eh!

In colour, this Sheppy's is very light - I have said 'yellow' on the sheet, but its much more light gold than that. The fiz doesn't appear to be very strong (which always makes me happy) and, well, it just looks appetising. This is helped along by a generous cider aroma to it. I cannot really smell honey in it. This is likely due to chemical changes as the honey and cider ferment together. The honey loses a lot of its own characteristics in the process (well, cider doesn't really taste of apple juice normally, does it?) and adds a background flavour to the cider.

I said that almost as if I knew what I was talking about eh! I ought to say that the above is just my opinion and based on my own experience!

The first thing I noted when tasting it was that I was wrong about the fizz dying off - its very much there, but just doesn't look like it. More over though, this is a really nice drink. There is the honey providing sweetness in the background, coupled with a lovely tannic body of cider flavour. These two things pretty much drown out the acid though. Thats not really a problem as it all just works very well together.

The aftertaste is nice and what I was expecting. Going from my own experience (again) it is far too easy to overdo the honey in cyser - that makes it very strong but the honey ends up adding an odd quality. This Sheppy's cyser is well controlled. Enough to add a great charisma to the drink, but not over powering.

If only Sheppy's made a 'full juice' and 'unfiddled' range, I would probably be a huge fan!

It scored 79/100. I nearly pushed it up to 80/100 as I'd have loved it to get Silver - but then I haven't done that yet. I would rather go with my original figures which I feel are the more accurate. Not that it matters really, its all only my opinion. However, if you come across this cider do try it - its definitely different in a good way.

Sheppy's Bullfinch Sparkling Medium Cider

Now, this is a classic design from Sheppy's. I am talking about the label, but it does make me wonder. It is so out of step with their other labels that there must be something in it.

On pouring its a bit of a flourish, although it dies down nicely. It is still quite a sparkling drink though - and being a medium I guess its meant to be what my cider friends call a 'ladies drink'. Surely there must be a better way of saying that, but I guess most will understand what it means. Mind you, at 7% its hardly a knock over!

The smell is all bitter sweet and sweetness. Its also (as usual) a nice golden colour. And at first taste its really quite a nice light cider - it has tannins to it, although mild is what is marked on my paper. It is also rather sweet - and this goes well into the aftertaste, which is surprisingly long.

Bullfinch presents me with a bit of dilema. Its far too sweet for me, and its a light, sparkling cider with an old fashioned label. Yet its actually rather an enjoyable experience. I have no idea why I would find this on the back shelf of a specialist cider shop, when Sheppy's have poorer ciders on the shelves of the local supermarket... well, actually I do. People don't want cidery ciders - they want alcopop ciders. This one is certainly sweet enough for most people... but there you go. I guess we all want the general punter to advance their taste buds and buy a more complex and interesting cider. Its an ongoing battle. One I think that has a place for Bullfinch.

It scored 73/100 and earns (I think deserves) a bronze apple. Not the best in the box, but I wouldn't say no.

Sheppy's Falstaff Cider

 

There is so much to say about this cider. First off, I have to take my hat off to Sheppy's who seem to produce every variant of cider that they possibly can!

Falstaff, as it say on the bottle, is a cultivar of James Grieve - a cooking apple albeit a very early cooking apple that turns into an eater if left on the tree long enough. So there should be plenty of acid going on - but not so much that a Bramley comes to mind.

This should really be a very light cider - possibly fairly strong (which it is) but with little tannin. Come on - thing of the last time you took a bit of a cooking apple and grimaced for the tannin in it? What does tannin taste like? Well, think of a cup of tea... preferably black tea, that has stewed a bit. The mouth drying, dry taste is partly (well, I think quite a lot) to do with the level of tannin.

So, lets get on to the Sheppy's version of Falstaff. It is very light. Straw sums it up very well. A low carbonation to it. And the aroma is very light. All good. A bit of sulphite (not very much, but its there). Its also a fairly fruity smell too. Nice. And different too.

The taste is a bit at odds with the smell. It doesn't taste 'out there', but its a little bit dummed down too. Well, that is a bit unfair. Actually, its a lot unfair. This cider needs to be thought about when its drunk. Too many of the ciders I have bought are quaffing ciders - strong but not much going on behind it. Less are the ciders that actually require you to stop and contemplate the taste. This is one that is worth doing just that.

There is plenty of acid in it, but gently so (not something that can be said about many 'acids'). Not much tannin there ... which is absolutely spot on for this style. I think it has been rebalanced a bit, which is probably a good thing (and I am not against cheating as long as it is context with the drink).

The aftertaste is pretty acidic and eastern - though a little more balanced . Yum. I would definitely have this one on my desert island list.

I am please to say that I would recommend this one as worth a try. If you like Aspells, you will like this cider. At 81/100, its got itself a Silver Apple from me:-)

Sheppy's Kingston Black Cider

Sheppy's are one of the pioneers of the single variety cider in the UK, although more recently many producers are making this style of cider. It harks back to the innovation in wine, with named grape varieties - although putting my cards firmly on the table I don't think apples carry this treatment as well as grapes. With a cider, you want to balance the apples out to get the best taste. Having said that, balance isn't everything. Character and personality are just as important and some of the best ciders I have tasted have been made from 3-4 varieties of apples.

Of all the apples that should make a decent single variety, general consensus is that Kingston Black is the prime candidate. Its a mild bittersharp, but with some decent tannins in it. This cider should have a pretty distinctive taste too, as Kingston Black is generally a very dry cider and the tannins can be rather bold.

The Sheppy's version is a cross between amber and gold in colour - nice, although I have seen a few Kingston Black ciders that have more reddy brown to them. There is a fairly mild carbonation too. Its s smidgen over a low carbonation, but does lift it and give it a nice, tannic aroma. I am looking forward to this.

And it is very delicious. Sure, the Kingston Black tannin and dryness are held back by sweetening and (to some degree) the carbonation, but the taste is definitely there. I am not surprised to find that it has been dulled a little in its production - single variety Kingston Black can be... challenging. This is one occasion (one of the VERY few) when I am glad that Sheppy's filter, it has left the taste intact but restrained so that the flavour of the fruit can compete with the tannin.

There is also a good acid background to this cider too. Not surprising as KB is a bittersharp, but even then this acid doesn't really compete with the tannin and sweetness. One thing I do note though - where is the deep, tannic aftertaste? I expected this taste to last, but it really doesn't at all. A bit of a shame, although its not critical.

In all honesty, I could drink this one all over again. It doesn't change my mind about the best ciders being a blend of several varieties, but as Kingston Black ciders go, its really very nice. A score of 71 sees a bronze apple awarded to it. As much as I lean away from single varieties, I am glad.

Sheppy's Somerset Draught Cider

So, two Sheppy's in a row... I think this is because Asda doesn't have the widest range of ciders. Having bought a couple and sat them side by side, they are exactly the same colour and alcohol content. The Somerset Draught has the ring of being Sheppy's 'stock' cider - the blend from wich the other creations are made.

This is a light, fizzy cider with mellow tannins and a good fruity taste. There is little oak taste to it (I am still oaked out after the last Sheppy's), but it is a full cider taste with good acidity to match the tannin. It hasn't got the distinctiveness of other Sheppy's ciders - not a complex or deep cider like the Vintage, and certainly not the same character as the Oakwood. But I like it - though granted, at a low 5.5% its nore a session cider (but not a watery one).

On the journey to find the best ciders available, this probably falls a bit short. On the journey to find good examples of an English cider this is really not bad at all. 

It scored 67, which is better than the Oakwood. Its definitely more drinkable, but suffered a little as it doesn't offer a character that is particularly complex. Sheppy's are doing OK in the scores though...

Sheppy's Oakwood Supreme Cider

 

This is a Sheppy's I hadn't met before... which probably demonstrates a sheltered existance! Oakwood Supreme plays heavily on its oak fermentation and maturation. Its a medium sweet cider - so its a lot sweeter than I am used to or would naturally choose... but lets not prejudge it. At 6% it is about right too.

Despite the initial 'pfzzz' the carbonation is actually quite restrained. First impressions, however, are made through the aroma. Oak. lots of it. Then the first taste is... no, wait for it... oak. lots and lots of it! This is a very oaky drink. This gives it a stack of unique character; and it is eminently drinkable. But the oak competes with the tannin to dominate this cider and the overall experience is oak and tannin.

I would liken the Oakwood Supreme to ciders which have been matured in 'Rum' or 'Whiskey' casks - too often these are overdone and end up ruining the drink. Its not unpleasant, but having tasted oak matured cider in the past this one is a bit over the top. Oak may be traditional, but it should be in the background if it needs to be there.

I like this cider. For character alone, this deserves a place on the list of ciders to try for anyone interested in exploring new ciders. Not in my top list though.

Sheppy's Dabinett Cider

OK, working through the supermarket ciders (well, ciders that are available in the supermarkets) I was bound to get to a single variety cider sooner or later. This is a new(ish) trend for cider makers. In much the same was as wine producers have a tendancy towards single grape varieties, single variety (SV) cider is (or puports to be) cider made from a single apple variety.

Is there any single apple that has all a cider needs? As it is commonly believed that a good cider needs a balance of tannin, acid and sweetness, this seems like this may not be achieved without a bit of tampering and adjustment. Never the less, is it any good? That is the important bit. Does using a single apply variety produce something with character and style - sure its going to be different.

There are a few varieties that are commonly used for SV cider. Generally, they have been cider varieties - Dabinett, Kingston Black, Yarlington Mill and Stoke Red stpring to mind easily. More recently, you can get desert quality SV ciders - Katy, Egremont Russet, Cox. This rewrites the rulebook as far as 'balance' goes.

And so on to the first SV cider. Sheppy's Dabinett is probably the most widely drunk SV Cider. Partly because it is so widely available... although if it wasn't popular, I suspect they would move on to another variety. It says on the bottle it is a Somerset cider... well, Dabinett originates in Somerset, so I guess that would qualify by default then:-) It is classified as a medium cider, which is quite a lot sweeter than I expected - so there has been quite a lot of adjustment to it.

Saying that, it is a nice golden colour (with rather too many bubbles...) and gives a slight smell of cider. On the first taste, it is a bit syruppy, although goes down smoothly enough for me. Its all a little tame though - I expected more character out of such a distinctive apple as Dabinett... though I expect its in the sweetening that there is the pay off. Dont get me wrong it does have a distinctive taste, its just that Dabinett is a pure bittersweet and generally there is only a litte acid in it. This one is more balanced - more dulled if you like.

It went down pretty well. As an SV cider, its not one that you will either love or hate - I like it although am not bowled over by it. It doesn't rock me either way. Although I must confess I have yet to find an SV cider that does bowl me over - they can (and do) rock you one way or another. As a mass produced cider, its definitely not bad... sadly still far too many people don't stop long enough at the cider shelves of a supermarket to raise their eyes above the Diamond white or supermarket 3 litre own brand for under £3.

If I were asked to teach someone about cider - this would be on the list. Mainly because its so available, but also as it is probably as easy and accessible SV cider as you are likely to get.

A score of 65 is actually pretty good, I think.

Sheppy's Vintage Reserve (2009) Cider

 

Continuing the major brands theme (well, they are the ciders that most people will find sat in their local supermarket) its time to try out a Sheppy’s.

Sheppy’s are one of the four or five medium to large cider makers in the UK currently – not at the level of Gaymers, C&C (Magners) and Bulmers, but one that can still make something of its ongoing heritage and family based structure. Like Weston’s, its worth visiting them if you are ever near Tauntons to see what is made of cider and apples – there is a museum and you can take a tour of the business (as well as buy cider).

The Vintage Reserve (or 'Oak Matured’ Vintage Reserve as its called on their website) has even won an award. So no pressure there then – before I have even opened the bottle I am expecting something good from it.

Now, its worth bearing in mind that pretty much all of the major cider producers are run more like manufacturing plants than the traditional businesses they once were. This includes filtration, pasteurisation and back sweetening to appeal to a wide audience with a consistent (but often safe) product. This blog is not in judgement of this. There are many sides to the cider industry and the more traditional producers cannot produce the same volume of cider as the larger concerns. Each cider should be taken as just that – a cider. Whatever people think of the processes, surely its the drink that matters (at the end of the day).

So, onto the cider itself... Its a nice colour - somewhere in between amber and golden. The bubbles are a bit of a bother though - this carbonation in this cider is very moussy and almost leaves a head on the cider! Once its drunk though, its a nice smooth (creamy?) mouthful that is distinctive and very full of bittersweet fruit.

As far as oak goes (the Vintage Reserve is descirbed as a Somerset Cider matured in oak), there is a taste of it - nicely, it isn't too much. Mind you, it would take a lot to overcome the cider apples in here. One thing I would say though is that I thought Somerset ciders should have more sharp to them than this - its more of a Hereford style... although this is much of a muchness.

At 7.4%, you can taste the alcohol in it - which lasts through to the aftertaste. It is sweet though... yes, I know, its a medium.

On the whole, this is a carefully put together cider and is nice - my imaginary friend who I am leading to cider would definitely try this on their journey. But the moussy carbonation, which never fades. I fear detracts from it, plus the sweetness which just isn't my taste... is it just me, or does carbonation increase the sweetness? On the verge (but not quite) a heritage cider.

I thought the overall score of 74 looked a bit tight, but its the first cider to win an 'apple'. Double checking the individual scores, I am happy with each and therefore its right (for me). A nice cider that deserves a look in.