Thatchers 458 Cider

At first, when I heard that Thatchers were launching a limited edition cider, my ears pricked up. What is more, it was a well known Mr Bill Bradshaw... photographer of all things apple... that asked what it was like. Well, I guess your not worth your salts as a reviewer if you dont at least try to respond to demand like that eh:-)

OK, joking aside, it was interesting - I don't recall missing an anniversary or celebration. This isn't like that. It is a celebration of the varieties collected by John Thatcher and planted in an exhibition orchard that is going on here. After all, the best ciders are blends - arent they!!

It comes in a box too. Well, I am not sure that they all come in boxes but my one here certainly does. Now, is this a chance for Thatchers to prove that they haven't departed the realms of the traditional cider maker too far? I tend to place them alongside Westons - massive production and anywhere between a 50 - 70% juice content (yes, I do tend to work by juice content as it is one of the few real differentiators for mass market/craft ciders). However, to both Thatchers and Westons credit, they do offer a 'break' in nationally available ciders - something with a bit more character than the industrial stuff - a bit more integrity and a hope that they *could* produce a brilliant cider if they really wanted to. A necessary stepping stone (if you like).

OK, lets rattle some stuff off the label before I taste it: “A unique full-flavoured cider made with 458 varieties of apples…"

The bottle itself reminds me of the Aspall Imperial – dark and classy. It doesn’t even look like the traditional Thatchers bottle… and then there is the box. Nice touch. Helpfully, it has tasting notes on it, which gives me a basis from which to review this cider:

ABV: 8.4%

Colour: Warm, rich and golden

Nose: A welcoming floral aroma with subtle spicy notes, coming from the more aromatic varieties of apples, such as Worcester Pearmain, Laxtons Superb and Devonshire Quarrenden.

Palate: 458 varieties of apple perfectly blended to create a balanced, medium cider with plenty of body and flavour. A full cider flavour comes from traditional Somerset varieties such as Somerset Redstreak and Porters Perfection, whilst Howgate Wonder and Grenadier provide a characteristic sharper bite.

Wow. I could write a blog post about this alone. First off, its not so much tasting notes as a sales pitch. So its been put together by the PR people. However, what I am seeing that is interesting are some of the apples used. Not all cider apples then – which is of course no problem, but perhaps more interesting from a company at the heart of Somerset. Take Grenadier (I use that sometimes), a gentle acidic culinary apple that is a bad keeper but quite juicy. And then the Laxtons and Worcester – both gentle and fragrant as apples but once the sugar is fermented not so much.

Saying all that, if they have captured the aromatic nature of some of those apples then it should be very tasty.

458 varieties in a blend; there isn’t much room in that lot for any one of them to dominate (if done in equal measure). As all the apples cme from Thatchers ‘Exhibition orchard’ though it is a very interesting blend to make... not that I am in any way jealous. Well, I am in a kind of not getting my expectations too high kind of way!

OK, getting on with opening things up. Ooh. It has quite a distinctive smell – quite strong and immediately I can tell it isn’t just cider fruit in this cider (confession – I know because I make a cider with both cider and dessert fruit and you can smell the more acidic nature of the dessert apples). However, it also smells cidery too in a tannic way. So far, it fits – rich, very golden, bright and moderately sparkling. I am not exactly going to agree with the nose – it isn’t floral by any stretch: it is deeper than that and also verging on citrus (orange or clemantine?).

The taste is actually very distinctive for Thatchers. The acid leads the taste – an acid coming from the dessert and culinary fruit. This is backed up with a good fruitiness and some gentle underlying tannin that forms at the back of the mouthful. Do you know what… I actually rather like this cider.

There is a touch of syrup in the taste but I suspect this is coming from the back sweetening more than anything to be honest. Finally, a very slight culinary sour note – together with the strong alcohol warmth.

The aftertaste is pleasant, warming and fairly long.

To be absolutely critical, it is a little sweeter than I would like. But it is no more than a medium.

Now, as someone who has given Thatchers a bit of a hard time (with the exception of the Vintage) I have found something in this Thatchers that is more traditional in composure (from a mainstream producer) than I have found since the Gaymers single orchard blends. It very much deserves its score of 86/100. I am not sure, but I don’t think I have awarded a silver apple to a mainstream producer yet… so this is very well done indeed!

Thatchers Old Rascal

I am not perfect. My reviews are not going to be perfect either. Not for everybody. And sometimes I forget things:-) Like thinking I have covered all the main Thatchers ciders when I have a great glaring hole in the shape of Old Rascal!!! Thanks to 'Dreadnaught' for pointing out what I seem to have missed.

In fact, looking at this bottle sat in front of me I don't think I did miss it. I am fairly certain that I did something much more daft than that - I think I lost the review before I had a chance to write it up! Oh well, it gets a second reviewing then but this time I will be sure to post it... And Dreadnaught, I would be most interested to see how it compares with your own experience. As a bit of a post comment, when putting this review together I found a score sheet for Old Rascal. I have attached it at the very end to show how my scoring of this cider has differed in 24 months!

So, Old Rascal. Legend (Thatchers legend) has it that  every night, under the cover of darkness, a wily old fox crept out of his den at the bottom of our orchard and tiptoed his way to the Thatchers cider store to help himself to fresh supplies. OK, nice story... perhaps true even... or maybe its just marketing:-)

It pours out highly polished - carbonated to a high fizz, 4.5% Magners stylee, light gold and bright as a button. It also smells light, although there is something chemically going on too - could be sulphites - though this is clearly emphasised by the high fizz going on. I am not getting very much fruit in my nose though which is concerning.

To taste, Old Rascal is very sweet and very light. And yes, it does make me think of Magners - juicy, a bit syruppy and, well, not that much to it. If the fox did steal cider, then I am sure it wouldn't be this... it doesn't sit with its name that well.

There just isn't a whole heap of character in this cider. Sure, there is some bittersweet fruit in here - I am getting the suggestion of tannin. There is also a small amount of acid in play too - which balances it all up just that bit too conveniently and safely.

The aftertaste is short.

I have to say this, as I have it written in my notes and its how I feel about it. This kind of drink is like the lager of the cider world. Mass produced and right up the supermarkets street... However, inspiring; challenging; interesting. Not for me.

A score of 58/100 is better than many of its counterparts.

 

Marks and Spencer Somerset Traditional Cider

Another Marks and Spencers - another Thatchers cider. I think they must make more cider for other people than for themselves. Yep, I know this is a common comment on Thatchers reviews, but I keep finding them under different names... so its worth repeating!


What is it about green bottles? I must have been spoiled with ciders in clear bottles. I like clear glass - you can see the golden/yellow and in one case orange glow of the cider without having to open it. Not so with green glass - its impossible to tell until its in the glass. Not that this cider was ever going to be anything other than golden and highly sparkling!

Now. Here is a thing. Occasionally, mainly on a full juice cider, you will find an ingredients list. But a cider from a major cidermaker??? A cider from a supermarket??? Fascinating! And, because its there, I can list it on here:-) This is not to criticise Thatchers or M and S - I ought to really award extra points for the transparency and honesty! Very brave! I think its worth listing as there is very little other opportunity to do so.

So. The biggest component... apple juice from concentrate. Next... Water. Then we have glucose syrup (not natural to apples), fructose syrup (more natural to apples), malic acid, Co2 and sulphites. Lastly, we have yeast. I could write an essay about this. I won't do that though as its a review and not an essay. OK, I may do a little bit...

First off, just because its made from concentrate does not always mean 'Chinese concentrate'. Often producers press apples and then concentrate for storage. The apple pressing season lasts 4 months at most in the UK, so the largest producers concentrate to store for making into cider later. They only have so much storage space eh. Is it the same once reconstituted? How much water is involved in that process and what percentage juice is a result of its reconstitution? (and don't forget that the water used in reconstitution of concentrate is not generally the same as the water used subsequently) Is this then chemically adjusted? OK, there is no space to answer any of this here. I jsut wanted to make the point that it is not necessarily bad.

Next, one could comment on the use of sugar. But then that may be also unfair - lots of large producers up the alcohol level of their cider - it makes more cider (that's maybe why the second largest part is water - its used to bring the alcohol level down to 5.5%).  And then malic acid is used to balance the cider out. The UK legal minimum juice content is 35%... most are a fair bit higher than that although do remember that a full juice cider would be greater than 85%. Also, if its reconstituted, the 35% is an even muddier concept!

I guess the most I would say (by way of pinning my colours to the mast) is that once you start on the road away from using just apple juice, you end up having to use more and more chemicals and rubbish to correct and 'bring back' the cider. At some point it stops being traditionally made and starts becoming a mere commodity. But then, that is modern industry and economics for you.

Now, I suspect I ought to review the cider now! Apologies to both Marks and Thatchers for riding roughshod over the review (though I guess they probably don't care).

As expected, this cider is a golden cider with a fairly high carbonation. Although the aroma is faint, it smells of both juice and toffee apple (and west country cider too). Its pleasant to look at and once the bubbles have subsided, which takes a while, its a good drink.

There is some tannin to this cider. There is a bit of acid too. In fact it is well balanced and a little character to suit it. I have to say it is a bit safe... though remember I tried the cider and wrote the comments about it before going on to write this and comment on labels etc. If anything, I do have another cider in mind when I drink this... yup, Green Goblin.

It has a short aftertaste which is as balanced as the cider itself. Don't get me wrong, it has a body to it. The aftertaste fades into an apple juice taste (though, in the spirit of a balanced cider its not particularly or overly juicy).

I think this is a cider that is for the masses. As Marks and Spencers only sell a very limited range of cider (and certainly not other brands generally) there is a place for a Green Goblin-esque cider from Thatchers in there. It has a character to it and is very drinkable.

A score of 65/100

Marks and Spencer Somerset Dabinett Cider

OK, this is starting to get funny. I present for your delectation the classic, the vintage, the oak matured Somerset Dabinett Cider from Marks and Spencers. Actually, its name is too long for the pdf field for the name, but here it is in its full glory: Somerset Oak Matured Dabinett Vintage Cider (2010). Now, take don't forget to take a breath:-)

So, why is this funny. Well, M&S don't make just cider; actually it would appear they don't make cider - in this instance its our old friends Thatchers once again. Now don't they have a lot of fingers in a lot of pies!

This has two things I am watching out for - well, three if you count the fact that its a Thatchers (although forgive me if I cannot exactly remember the taste and profile of all their range of ciders). Firstly, its an S.V., a single variety - even after so many ciders I am still not converted. Secondly, its matured in oak. Traditional? Yes it is. Serves a purpose? Yes, wood is probably a the best material to naturally start a malolactic fermentation (not a fermentation at all really, but a process that rounds off the edges and is widely felt to create a vintage cider). Does it actually add anything special to the flavour? I am not convinced of this - cider is not sat in wood for long enough. OK, if it were new oak I would bet it would add a woody flavour to the cider,which is not necessarily a good thing, but 100 year old vats???? Hmmmm.

Nevertheless, its a hard job trying ciders and one has to persevere... sorry - I am actually looking forward to it.

It has a bit of a flourish to start off with, but its moderately carbonated and a nice golden colour. It even smells of dabinett too - a moderately deep smell. It doesn't smell of juice either (I think I have tried too many recently that have had too much juice in - maybe I am getting over sensitive about it!). And then there is the taste. Sure, there is dabinett there. Its rather nice actually. A little on the sweet side of medium dry... its really a medium in terms of taste, although the bubbles could be lifting its profile a little too. Its a little watery, which is a shame, but not unexpected. Some other Thatchers ciders share this too; looking back at my records I haven't tried a Thatchers Dabinett though.

The aftertaste is fairly thin and sweet too, although really not unpleasant at all. I guess this is like most other thatchers I have tried, competent but not exactly hard working in the stunning category. Its well done but perhaps a bit safe.

As an afterthought, I went back through my reviews to pick out the Thatchers from the 'own brands' and guess what. Nearly all of them turn out to be made by Thatchers. They have this market covered eh! (I have updated the labels to now reflect the Thatchers heritage).

A score of 64 is comparable with the other own brands. Sorry about the quality of the photo. Not one of my best!

Coronation Tap Exhibition Cider

I have no intention to start reviewing pubs or events on here - cider is enough! However, when you find a cider that is only available through one outlet its kind of hard not to. After all, in this case the environment is all a part of the experience of the cider, isn't it?

On the whole, the Corrie Tap is a bit of an institution within Bristol - situated in the historical area of Cliften (I ought to have made that 'Studenty' as that is what is really is). I find Clifton as a place a bit trendy with designer outlets, restaurants and even town houses (London in miniature with a Bristolian outlet:-) Within this environment, the Corrie Tap is a pokey little pub at the end of a cobbled street. It does feel a lit bigger inside though, with wooden everything (and lots of varnish) - a smallish bar area too. And behind the bar? Lots of ciders - mainly of the Thatchers, Westons and Gaymers ilk, but all sold from bottles, on tap and from several wooden barrels. Oh, and there is some real ale too.

The 'Tap' has lots of history itself. Going by the boards outside the pub it was established in the mid-late 18th century and has had some colourful landlords. It is proud of its 'ciderhouse' status; with chalk boards declaring what the latest offerings are with the percentages alongside. You can even buy badges saying 'I've been Corried'... which brings me back to the main point. This is a student pub with a reputation. If lots of students and music are not your thing, then I would get there early in the evening and avoid on a Friday/Saturday.

The bar staff are friendly, helpful and (the guy I spoke to was) well informed. Having described the ciders for me, I asked if they sold anything from smaller, artisan producers. Sadly, no. They have a great relationship with Thatchers and do not vary their cider. So for the moment anyway you won't find 'guest' ciders or something that isn't available via 100 other outlets... that is, except for the Exhibition cider.

Exhibition cider is produced for the Tap by Thatchers (hence the labels). At 8.5% it is all you can get from a cider in terms of strength. When I ordered it came in a pre-filled half from a large tray of halves. "70% of all our sales are Exhibition cider", I was informed. At over £2 per half, its a good earner for them (although bloomin steep for a half pint!). They must have trendy students to aim it at!

So, what is this cider? Its a slightly sparkling, dark golden cider which is bright and has a faint cider aroma. It also has a deceptively mild taste. Not juicy at all (although it is very sweet) but fairly deep with a rounded tannin and very little acid behind it. You can tell that it is Thatchers to a degree (it has that 'Green Goblin' feel to it). However, I am not sure its just another Thatchers relabelled... its too strong for a start!

The aftertaste is tannin but mostly sweetness. It goes down OK. The sweetness is a very big feature of Exhibition cider and is persistant all the way through the drink. Not really my thing, but I have to remember that this is geared up for students in the main - and why not? It is a competant cider which I am glad I have tried.

As a small note, I was seriously tempted to up it by a few points for the decent music playing. I always felt that Muse goes well with cider:-)

If I find myself in the right place and the right time (i.e. Bristol during a week day at about 6pm - the Tap only opens after 5.30pm during the week) then I would visit the Coronation Tap again. I would also fairly likely order another half of Exhibition cider - well, I have reviewed all the other ciders they offer! I would also take my cider learning friend there too.

73 points earns a bronze apple for Exhibition Cider and the Corrie Tap and perhaps is a little high for the drink itself. Wonder if it would score as well outside of the pub? Its not one of the greats, but at least its not an alcopop!

Thatchers 2011 Vintage Cider

I found this cider gracing the shelves of Sainsbury's the other day and have since found that it is a new addition to the Thatchers family of ciders... as in very recent indeed.

Now, I have to say this bottle confuses me to the extreme. You see, typically a vintage cider is one that is of vintage quality, which the producer has left to properly mature and refine - say, maybe 12 months+ old. This one appears to have been pressed, fermented, matured and bottled in the 2011 pressing season.

OK, lets be a realist - marketing people have taken over the cider industry and what most people think of as vintage is up for grabs to be interpreted by some marketing bod. And I can only think this is what Thatchers have done - I wasn't expecting to see 2011 vintage cider until late next year... in fact, I am not expecting to see any 2011 cider until April/May next year. So I guess this means its their vintage for 2011... not a vintage made in the 2011 season.

Read the label - "... using the pick of the apples from the 2011 crop..." Hang on. The 2011 crop isn't finished yet! I am still pressing apples and am pretty sure most others are too (and am told that the best cider apples are the late ones). Add to this paradox the fact that nothing but the earliest cider will have had the chance to finish fermentation yet?! I am sure it is quite possible to force fermentation speeds, but then what about maturation? Not specifically thinking about vintage cider, but about 2011 cider generally - this is something of a major anomoly!

I hope this is just a mistake and what they meant was that its the 2010 apples pressed in 2010 for a 2011 vintage (which, although still a little confusing would at leasr make sence). In truth, my bet goes on it being the Thatchers marketing machine trying to be clever and/or trying to be 'on trend' with some kind of vintage cider fad going on. Either that or else they have some serious fermentation and ageing kit at Thatchers that I have never heard of before. If I am wrong about this, please someone tell me!

Maybe I had better get on to reviewing the cider eh!

The aroma fine (as in faint) but a nice cider smell... coupled with a whiff of sulphite too. Its a lovely golden colour with a moderate but persistent carbonation.

To taste, there is a sense of the 'Green Goblins' about this cider, albeit that I think its a deeper taste - its certainly stronger in terms of alcohol content, but it does still feel a little engineered. It is filtered and bright with a carbonation that I would have thought was forced at bottling. Its quite a juicy cider too, so maybe its sweetened with apple juice - more common than you might think and one of the more natural ways of sweetening a cider.

Aftertaste is juicy and moderate - not real tannic kick or acidic bite to it.

The drink is pleasant and I actually rather like the juicy, deep flavour (although the sweetness is a little on the high side. I must admit that having tried many other 'vintages' this one is a little light. That may be why I am a touch disappointed with it... other than the whole thing just confuses the hell out of me! As a cider, I would say it is as good as the 2010 Vintage.

A score of 74 sees it with a bronze medal. However, that bronze is not for their marketing team!

Thatchers Katy Rose Cider

Now, I know I didn't really go for the Katy - and I have been told that other people do actually think a lot more of it than I do. That is fine. So why am I trying Katy Rose then? Well, apart from being the only cider in the off-licence that I hadn't tried (so it was rude not to), I want to see whether it being read does anything more for me. Sounds odd. Well, yes it is I suppose.

In actual fact and to be brutally honest about this, I didn't drink it on my own. Well, what would you do with 750ml of cider if you struggle to drink it? I am hoping that it doesn't come to that however. I recall that one of my objections to Katy was that it had none of the characteristics of a desert apple (thin, light and acidic generally). So once again its a bit of a comparison review - albeit there is more than one of us trying this one out!

On pouring its a foamy cider. And red. Very red. Once the initial frothing has died down the aroma is fairly pleasant - gently appley, although not a great deal of tannin on the nose (given what I have said about desert apples being used for cider, there ought not to be a lot of tanin really!)

Taste wise - well, its very much like its sister cider; tamed, with a ubiquitous tannin and acid blend that I would expect from more cider apple based ciders. However this is adjusted in the processes, I don't expect a desert apple to deliver the balance and tannin that this does.

The rest of its story is pretty much as per the last review. Its a lighter cider than Katy - lighter in ABV too for some reason although it taste very similar. My friend who joined me in tasting liked it, although did comment that it was similar to many ciders he has tried from Thatchers before.

I want to finish by saying that neither Katy or Katy Rose are bad. They are competant ciders. However, they are clearly aimed and taylored to a market that I am not a part of. And this leaves me a little cold.

A score of 60/100.

Badgers Apple Wood Cider

OK, there are so many things to take in with this cider... confusing things too! However, none are truly to do with the taste and are therefore neither positive or negative. Just facts about the cider... for those who may care!!

Well, Badgers is a Dorset based brewery of some note. I knew they were dorset because it is embossed into the glass; 'Dorset Ales'. These people are better known for producing 'Tanglefoot' and 'Fursty Ferret'.

However. This cider is produced in Somerset. It says so on the back. Not only that, its produced by Thatchers. So, if you were wondering why it is labelled as both Badger and Thatchers then you now know. Thatchers must make one heck of a lot of cider!

Does this make a difference? It says all the right things on the bottle - I like the honesty of people actually stating that they didn't really produce the stuff, but rather left it to a company who has rather more experience at producing cider. The only bit I don't get is the statement that using vintage varieties of apples produces a medium dry cider. No it doesn't. It produces a dry cider that is (going by many of other Thatchers ciders) back sweetened and pasteurised. Oh, all right, that is petty and pretty nit picky. Thatchers may have not done as well on here as they perhaps could have (it is only my opinion!!) but they could out cider me any day probably!

So, lets get on with tasting it. It has a cidery smell (I also got a bit of sulphites as well though...) Taste is smooth blend of cider apples. Mellow tannins - not harsh and you can actually get the flavour of dabinett... It was the one variety named on the label and it seems there is good measure.

I rather like this actually. It has a pleasing taste, which carries through to to the end nicely. A good measure of acid backs up the tannins and taste which lifts the cider. A little sweet for me, but nothing unexpected. I honestly thought this would just be a safe, sweet cider. But it isn't. I like it. There is a character to it that smells and tastes of Somerset.

No, it isn't Burrow Hill... but then there isn't much that is to be honest (oh, I haven't reviewed that one yet... a mixture of fear of its owner, Julian Temperley, and the fact I haven't had some for quite a while now). I ought to soon!!

This is a pretty honest cider, with a good taste. Whilst it says it is oak aged, I am not getting much of that (thank God). Oak really shouldn't interfere with the flavour of a cider. I want apples, not wood!

It scored 77/100 for me.

Thatchers Katy Cider

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.

Thatchers Cox's Cider

You have probably heard of Thatchers Katy Cider, made from the desert apple Katy (Katja). However, continuing the theme of this, they also make a cider from Cox's. Both could be regarded as a curious choice for a single variety cider. Desert apples are fairly high in sugar and acid but low in tannin, so I am expecting the cider to be fairly thin or watery with a decent amount of acidity - very much in an Eastern counties style.

Not to go over the top though, this cider is extremely well balanced. It has a little sharpness and a little tannin but, in the main, the taste is of apple sauce - sweet and, well, a sweetened stock cider. It even smells of apple sauce. Very definitely not what I was expecting and, to be quite frank, very disappointing. This is what I can only assume is an engineered product.

Whilst it does have a desert apple undernote, and a fairly deserty aftertaste most of the character has been 'adjusted' out of it. I have no doubt that Thatchers really did press a few tonnes of Cox's (well, probably rather more than a few), and have made this cider from the juice. I am also prtty sure that this has been adjusted  to make the cider taste more acceptable to the masses (I may have said before, eastern cider is not to everyones taste!). Its the extent to which this has been done that makes it a fairly dull and uninteresting cider, in my opinion.

OK, enough Thatchers bashing. This is my journey - I would suggest that people try it for themselves. Its not one that I am likely to rush to try again though.

Score is 53.

Thatchers Green Goblin Cider

 

OK, here is the first thing about Thatchers Green Goblin. Well, its the first thing I noticed anyway. The goblin on the label is blue. At least, this is assuming I am not colour blind (which I am not).  Come on Mr Thatchers... lets have a green one at least:-)

Seriously, this is an oak aged cider and (according to the back label) the green goblin is from deep in the wood... the oak vats that this stuff is aged in presumably. Hey, I have heard less reason given for the name of a cider!!

Its meant to be a medium dry cider, made from a bittersweet blend of apples and 'beautifully' balanced . Well, there is oak in the aroma and, once the fizz has died a bit, it is a smooth mouthful with not too many bubbles getting in the way.

It does live up to its dry finish, and I would say that the balance is struck fairly well in the taste, though it doesn't have a very long finish to it. The levels of acidity are also interesting - there are bittersharps or sharps in there as well as bittersweets I think... though I would have expected that from a balanced cider. The oak is lost in the taste - which I must admit I am pleased about.

So, it is a well balanced cider, fairly dry and not too fizzy. A little sharpness too in the finish. Why did it only score 68/100 then? Well, its not the silly name (or the even sillier explanation of the name). I think its a good cider, and got a good mark. However, compared to some of the others - especially the vintages - it just misses the depth of character and personality that makes a great cider (in my book anyway - I spoke to someone today who raved about Sheppy's Oakwood... so its all horses for courses).

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Vintage Cider

A Sainsbury's cider made by Thatchers for the Taste the Difference range. After the last one I expected this to be a slightly down graded Thatchers cider. After all, their own Vintage cider scored its very own bronze (I know, it doesn't mean much from here but at least it gets on to my own short list of a kind). The label claims "Medium dry with a depth of flavour" - "A rich and fruity cider with a touch of sparkle".

This cider is a 2009 vintage cider made from Dabinett and Redstreak apples. Now I have a lot of respect for both Dabinett (a very good bittersweet variety) and also for Redstreak (a full Bittersharp). These are good apples to lay claim to, and ought to produce an interesting cider. The stakes for this one are raised!

On opening, its a medium fizz. I would say more like a 'dab' of sparkle than a 'touch'. Now who is being picky?! Its a nice gold colour - which I am coming to learn is a common colour for a west country cider.There is also a distinct aroma which offers both tannin and acidity.

Here is the odd thing though - the cider taste doesn't deliver much acidity at all. Sure, there it is in the aftertaste, but not in the mouth. It does taste a bit sweeter than its medium dry, so may be that counters it. The bubbles may also lift the sweetness a touch too.

I am definitely getting the dabinett and, although the aftertaste carries a tiny amount of sharp, its mainly tannin that comes through. Would say that there is more dabinett than redstreak, although it is strikingly more balanced than a dabinett single variety.

This is nice and drinkable though, with a good character to it. A nice blend. I only marked down because it also definitely has a safe, pastuerised flavour which is common to many ciders that have been 'adjusted'.

Given that, not bad at all. I would recommend for those searching for something good with only a Sainsbury's to hand (although Sainsbury's also stock Henney's Vintage - so I'd go for that instead). And what do you know. It scored a bronze apple. Actually, having just finished it, I am not surprised. Its a good one.

Tesco's Finest Single Orchard Cider

Enough Sheppy's for now (don't they make a lot of different varieties!!!). Back to Tesco's and time to try one of their own. Well, when I say one of their own what I mean is the one that is made for them by Thatchers. Its hard to decide whether to tag this as Thatchers or Tesco... maybe it should be both.

The dead give away with the Tesco 'own brand' ciders (apart from the fact that they are honest enough to state who made it on the label), is that they use the producers bottles - hence this one comes in a bottle that is essentially a Thatchers type bottle. Another thing that is worth noting is that this cider came from a different Tesco; and the range is still pretty poor.

Never mind. Moving on to this cider, I expected it to be like another Thatchers cider - though the one it was most like was the Vintage which scored pretty well here. Its a golden cider with a moderate carbonation - so not over the top at all. It also has a nice cidery smell to it, which makes me want to take a great big gulp... but hey, I am trying to be sophisticated (had to look up that word:-).

There is a good full measure of tannin in this drink, with little acidity to haul it back. The sweetness does though, so it isn't at all mouth puckering. There is some good bittersweet flavour to this cider, although this doesn't really last very long (on the finish, I believe it is called). In fact, it does suffer a little from a lack of distinctive character about it - no one bittersweet rules or defines it - which is a shame as the vintage scored well on aftertaste. Maybe the comparison is a bad one then.

Overall, I found nothing to dislike about this cider, although I found nothing to rave about either (if I am going to be negative about it). Its worth trying, and with a score of 65/100, I reckon it won't disappoint too much,

Thatchers Vintage of 2010

 

I feel as though I gave Thatchers a bit of a hard time in the post about Thatchers Gold... not, I am sure, that they would worry too much about it - Gold is a very popular cider. With John Thatchers Vintage of 2010, we must be talking about a different beast.

On the label, is claims to be made from 'only the best apples from the 2010 crop'. 'It should have a touch of sparkle and a fruity floral aroma.' Well, that is the label - something I try to avoid reading until after I have tried it. So here goes.

Well. the label is pretty spot on with this one. A fairly light fizz and a nice golden colour... not a natural carbonation, but it is held back so not over the top. A smooth mouth feel too - nothing like Gold, its not watery at all.

In the mouth, there is a good measure of tannin, but also sharp too - unfortunately, a tiny bit sour (on my palatte). I have tasted this before; I am sure that there are a decent amount of bittersharps in this cider. The trouble is that sometimes bittersharps overtake the sweets and bittersweets. That said, this cider has a distinct character - its definitely not bland! There is nothing wrong with erring on the sharps either.

This is a punchy drink - you don't get the full 7.4%, even in the aftertaste which is quite long and sharp too.

I liked it. A favourite it is probably not but as an individual cider it stands up well - just not what I would consider a heritage cider.

It scored 71/100 so it gets a bronze apple.

Thatchers Gold Somerset Cider

 

If I recall correctly, Gold was one of the first ciders that drew me away from Magners and helped me realise there was more to life than Irish cider.

There are several cider makers in the UK who are rather large these days – almost outgrowing their 'family owned’ monika’s, but who hold on to the tradition. Thatchers is one (as well as Sheppy’s, Westons and Aspells).On the up side to this, while the ciders are still seen by many as traditional scrumpy/cider/cyder they are found all over the country. On the downside, the processes adopted to produce such volumes have led many traditionalists (itself not exclusively a positive term) to criticise that the ciders “don’t taste like they used to”. I am not old enough to know what they used to taste like but I suspect they were fine ciders.

I have heard this comment about Thatchers Gold a couple of times. But it is what it is – you can only gauge it on what the bottle sat in front of you tastes like.

On pouring, it is a very fizzy cider although this doesn’t last too long. I am not a fan of super sparkling cider – unless it is naturally produced or very lightly carbonated. It is also a pretty yellow cider – which is unlike a lot of west country style ciders.

The first mouthful is pretty watery too. Saying that, the second is better (why is it that sometimes the first sip of a cider is different from the next – maybe the mouth is cidered up by then!) It doesn’t seem to smell of much, although I did get a bubble up my nose when I stuck it in!. In fact, as the score suggests, it was a little thin and safe to drink on the whole.

Its definitely a western style of cider – there is some nice acid balance to it as well. However, its another safe drink – feeling rather sweeter than the medium dry label suggests. All said though, its a fair drink and better than others.

As far as my novice cider drinking friend goes, I am a little stuck on this one – I could probably give them this or Stowford Press or Old Rascal to drink and the difference would be minimal... though I haven’t reviewed either of those yet so lets not get ahead of ourselves!

The score of 57/100 is fair, for me. I must admit that I was a bit disappointed with it... surely its not changed since I last had it??? (that last bit was tongue in cheek, by the way!)