Secret Orchard Cider. but you can't get it because we have the last case.
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Robinson's Flagon is my all time favourite.
Dunkertons Black Fox got me through the residential modules of my Masters. Lovely stuff.
Also a fan of Black Rat and generally most 'real' ciders.
Get down to cornwall and have a rattler..... Mmm
SAMs pound house is the other favourite
Anything by Aspalls is going to be good.
Like Henney's too, but find it a bit inconsistent.
Can personally vouch for Mike Johnson's ciders and perrys, he keeps traditional orchards and is respected far and wide. Top people and top cider. Visit the cellar for sampling at Broome Farm if you're ever nr Ross, it's an experience to be savoured.
I live about 5 miles from there and never been! Not a big cider drinker, but finally did the HW tour (because that's on our doorstep as well). I liked everything they gave us, not sure what it all was tho! On a tangential note, if you get the chance to do the tour, snap it up. It's such a brilliant old site, full of tiny buildings and lashed together stuff. The production floor is all modern and clean, but the site itself is just like a proper old m/f plant. And it's still run by the family. Fun couple of hours and you get 4 types of cider at the end!
If I'm out and it's a decent pub - Thistly Cross
Addlestones
Moles Black Rat
In the house -Aldi's own Taurus (I'm not kidding)
Dry Blackthorn
Scrumpy Jack
This is where I get my cider fix
http://www.wilkinscider.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=55
Think black rat is now made by thatchers now. But still drinkable
I made quite a lot of my own cider last year with Lidl apple juice, sugar, tea, bakers yeast, and even added scotch bonnet chillis.
Had to stop as I was getting a bit pickled. It's dead easy and takes a week.
If you search for Turbo Chilli Cider on Youtube, you can see the how-to. I can't post it as I'm in China and Youtube is blocked.
Dunkertons Black fox for the win
Addlestones
Almost anything from Aspalls
Most of the Thatchers stuff
If you are ever in Bristol - pop into the Cider shop on Christmas Steps - very friendly, knowledgeable and a big selection.
My missus is quite partial to some pork in cider ! 😀
Working in Herefordshire recently a lot of my cider-drinking colleagues seemed to enjoy Stowford Press. I used to really enjoy Aspells.
Love cooking a chunk of pork in cider. Cheap sweet supermarket stuff normally works very well.
Try muscles in cider too (but get a better cider).
With cream it's a good alternative to white wine and cream. Or without cream it's healthier and good in summer.
You can add bacon too 🙂
Working in Herefordshire recently a lot of my cider-drinking colleagues seemed to enjoy Stowford Press. I used to really enjoy Aspells.
We did a taste test on Stowfords Press vs Morrisons own (£3 for 2 litre) - I prefer traditional cider from barrels but prefer beer in general. Mrs MR is a long time Stowfords fan though (still orders that in pubs more often than anything else)
Her opinion was that the Morrisons stuff tasted marginally better. My opinion is that any super sparkling sweet cider sold in bottles is the devil's wee. If I was a bike snob it would be like comparing an Apollo mtb to a hand made frame, except the analogy falls over in price as large production bottled soda/ciders don't cost ten times less than traditional crafted ciders.
(Disclosure - have two friends who run cider companies, and often enjoy helping them produce cider - tho am not a snob. Ale snob? yes. Cider is niche for me 😉
Thatchers Cheddar Valley or Thatchers Traditional for the real men.. we were drinking the ~7% Traditional on draught for £1.05 a pint around 2005
I'm not quite sure how the recent prevalence of lady's ciders came about, and I'm not sure what good it can do..
live about 5 miles from there and never been!
Get ye there! If it's late in the day and they are closed you can go to the [url= http://whatpub.com/pubs/HFD/2520/yew-tree-peterstow ]Yew Tree[/url] @ Peterstow to sample some on draught 😉
The USA is seeing a real boom in cider.
Unfortunately they REALLY like to mess about with it. The mainstream brands nearly all have additives and even flavouring in them.
The niche ones do strange things too. A local cidery HOPPED some of their cider. EEK!
Made from the apples off our one little tree in the back garden, over 9 gallons of Thirsty Lurcher this year. Strong, dry and delicious!
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(Disclosure - have two friends who run cider companies, and often enjoy helping them produce cider - tho am not a snob. Ale snob? yes. Cider is niche for me
I have quite liked some of the ciders turned out by smaller producers. I have had a thing for still cider in particular. Never been a fan of the mass-market Strongbow or Woodpeckers - not snobbery just not liked the taste. Can't say I was a connoisseur though - just knew what I liked when I tasted it.
Blackthorn is chemical rubbish it doesnt even taste of apples.Thatchers Cheddar Valley is real cider ,been thinning my Dads blood for years .
Burrow Hill .. proper good stuff!
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A rustic old place! 🙂
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mmmmm cider....
I've been known to like a small glass or three 😆
Waitrose used to sell a lovely Spanish Cider called Sidra. Haven't seen it for a while though unfortunately.
I went on a cider mission a couple years ago and tried around 60 varieties in relatively quick succession - with a mate - we concluded that anything aged in oak barrels almost always has a better flavour than those which are not (check the label).
I concur that Westons and Thatchers generally produce good flavours. Aspall too have a couple of winners, although we both thought their organic version tasted awful! (our least favourite)
Too many sulfites tends to make the batch too acidic/bitter on the aftertaste.
Bulmers released a 2012 white labelled 'Vintage Reserve' (No.18) which was bloody lovely. Crisp, and bittersweet with a fine fizz. Haven't seen any in the shops for a year now but still live in hope, would love to find a hidden batch somewhere.
If the craving comes, I usually pick up Thatchers Vintage or Gold, Aspall Vintage, or Henry Westons Vintage.
In fact, i'm off out to the corner shop..
Moe - Burrow Hill .. proper good stuff!
Agreed, but then he's family. The cider brandy is especially good - I reckon the five year old is the sweet spot on taste & price.
im on still local cider
scrumpy wasp AMNESIA 7.2% and its lovely
Still having the occasional glass of the 1060 pints I made with two mates last Autumn. Generally very nice, although we used about six different Apple varieties, some being a better bet than others.
We did win an award for our Perry though, only made about 10 gallons of that though. Long gone !
i'd love to have a go at making some one day.
did you make any from mixing the apples? most supermarket stuff is a blend, giving more uniformity.
I'd hazard a guess that your single apple varieties has a distinct individual flavour!
Samford Press from near Dartmoor
King of Ciders if you ask me.
Just a bugger to get hold of.
Slim jim ....apart from a couple of barrels which we used up the odds n sods in, we kept the varieties separate , to be fair most of those were quite good, the blends being less so. That said in previous years we have just chucked in what we had, but found ourselves adding Apple juice and stuff once we were racking off the finished article just to sweeten and enhance it.
sounds fun to me. feel the need to make a batch now!
Thatchers cheddar valley - colour of tizer, taste of angels sucking on your tongue, and they use laughing gas for the bubbles.
Many a happy weekend spent in the Quantocks biking and drinking, following a stop at Thatchers enroute.
The great thing about cider is there's so many to try, and loads of little presses doing great local stuff. Wilkins near cheddar is wonderful- far too drinkable, and similar effect as cheddar valley.
love a cider/perry, cant/dont drink a lot of the stuff but i love to try em.
local pubs have Addlestones and Stowford Press on draft,
found some "bee-sting perry" from a local producer this year, the average by volume (8.5%) seemed a little underrated to say the least
blatant plug for a couple who i know through rescue dogs...
which is a timely reminder to buy a bag-in-a-box for my sister for christmas - she loves it. Cider through the post, cant beat it.
brant i bloody love you.
not looked into it yet, but its got soobalias written all over it.Turbo Chilli Cider on Youtube
my friends may disagree.