[Closed] Tell me about cider.

Bulmers original

I am no way a cider snob*, they will be along shortly, but Bulmers isn't a great cider. My personal favourite is Aspall, mainly the Premier Cru. Not annoyingly niche, that you can only find it in one shop in Suffolk that only opens on a Tuesday, but genuinely really tasty and most supermarkets stock it.

...it's also 7%, which is always fun.

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*I quite like the Brother's Toffee Apple Cider.

3 litre bottle of white lightning. Once you've drunk a tenth of it, tip in your quarter bottle of vodka. Sorted.

I'm not generally a fan of it tbh- not allowed beer and took to it as a pint substitute- but thistly cross whisky cask is lovely imo.

I'm a cider pleb.
I like Thatcher's and Aspel's (but I think well kept Strongbow, off the tap, is also quite nice 😳 )

I had white lightning once whilst waiting to see Guns N Roses when I was a youngster, I don't need to try it again with or without vodka.

Being down ere in Zummerzet, Thatchers is a favoured tipple.

There's a pretty wide variety of the stuff round these parts, from stuff sold in cleaned plastic milk bottles to fancy schmancy 'artisan cider' but for quaffing, Thatchers Gold takes some beating.

its like beer and lager, loads of cheap nasty mass produced rubbish and loads of lovely made stuff thats worth seeking out whether thats the more nationally available varieties or the locally crafted gems that you buy in a plastic jug.

i personally like henry westons vintage, although at 8.2 percent its a bit strong and can lead to almighty hangovers.

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Westons have it sussed. Old Rosie and Henry Weston's Vintage are both lovely dry ciders.

[url= http://www.thatcherscider.co.uk/product/the-cider/single-variety/thatchers-katy-single-variety-cider.ashx ]Thatcher's Katy[/url]

[url= http://www.westons-cider.co.uk/products/henry-westons/the-product/ ]Weston's Vintage[/url]

Those will tell you all you need to know.

Living the dream.

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Not a fully paid up Cider Snob here, but I'm at least 50% of the way there... Put it this way, when I go into a bar in town and the only ciders they've got are the fruity Bulmers ones, or Rekorderlig, I'll have a Coke instead!

That said, I'm not a fan of scrumpy or flat ciders, or anything with mysterious origins. I'd rather it came in a glass bottle with a label and a barcode...

As a general rule, if it says Thatchers or Weston's on the bottle, it's well worth giving a try. My favourite is Weston's Wyld Wood, but there are plenty of others from both brands well worth trying. On a hot summers day, and when you know you've "got" to drink a few pints, then Thatchers Gold is pretty much unbeatable to be fair. Old Rascal is also rather tasty...

Others to note are as follows...

-Morrisons own brand ciders (made by Weston's iirc). Their organic and vintage ciders taste just like Wyld Wood and Weston's vintage respectively. Their cheapo 4.8% stuff (£2.69 for 4 cans) tastes remarkably like Thatchers Gold!
-Dunkertons Black Fox... Responsible for 9 out of 10 of my hangovers... Says its 7%, tastes like half that, ****s you up like its twice that!
-Aspalls is very nice. Especially the Organic stuff (7%), but I'll happily drink any of them to be fair...

There are a few more I quite like and can't think of right now, the guys who REALLY know their cider on here are 40MPG (that's how many miles he can manage per gallon of cider!) and the rest of the Team Sumo boys...

Aspall's is indeed very good.

Also, try Waitrose own label Normandy cider. It's really rather nice.

Aspall's

I'm not big on grammar. But that dunt lookie right.

I've just added a nice bottle of cider to a chicken and apple casserole for tonight's tea!

Another Thatchers Gold fan here. They are just down the road and all the apple remains coming out of the factory this last couple of weeks have smelt lovely 😀

Bath Ales Bounder is nice too.

Not really one for experimenting with cider as I find most I don't like so I just stick to what I know goes down well.

Gwynt y Ddraig worth a look if it can be found over the border.

Meself and two mates made over 1000 pints last autumn and about 210 pints of perry.
Arguably not for the faint hearted, but reasonably palatable, if perhaps a little dry.

[url= http://www.sheppyscider.com/ ]Sheppys Cider[/url]. Lovely stuff and available from Sainsburys. Henry Westons is nice too and can be got in Tesco.

On a recent taste test with some mates, Tesco Original Dry Cider in cans was way ahead of Thatcher's Gold 😀

If you fancy a traditional cider,try these
http://gwatkincider.co.uk/cider/
Don't try a dry one if you ain't a diehard fan,but I can personally recommend the Norman cider,I get it every time I pass the farm.
Its a good job I only pass once every two months or else I could be in serious trouble with this stuff,its goddam superb.

3 litre bottle of white lightning

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That should last you all winter.

Cheers everybody, might pop into Morrison's on the way home from the rugby tomorrow.

westons old rosie for me tonight

I'm a fan of Henney's Frome Valley Dry Cider, available in Waitrose, Tesco and Aldi to suit all snob levels.

Lishin the dream

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🙂

Just to pre-empt timidwheeler's next pic.

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Scamper - Member
On a recent taste test with some mates, Tesco Original Dry Cider in cans was way ahead of Thatcher's Gold

It is very good but I'm no cider snob & we all have different tastes. Like thatchers a lot, gold & old rascal. Not a fan of Aspall's though

Lots and lots consumed at the [url= http://www.bigbikebash.co.uk ]Big Bike Bash[/url] every year, come and try all the different types next August

I'm trying to remember a name of a cider now.

It was organic. Brown bottle (stella size not Thatchers gold size) with a beige/brown logo. For some reason I remember a hare or something on the label, maybe.

at 8.2% this goes down surprisingly well !
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Wrong.

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What the Big Bike Bash needs is [url= http://www.biketrackpeople.com ]a portable pump track[/url]. Then we could come and sample some cider.

Love thatchers coxes but can't find it anywhere!

Shorry bout that.

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Try some Thatchers Old Rascal, goes down so easily

Shah. ..shehe er. .

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I was always partial to a bit of Old Rascal when at home and Old Bristolian while I was out and about 🙂

these days, living up north I thought I would be living in a land devoid of decent cider. Then I discovered Moss Cider and donated just under 100KG of apples to them = 25 litres of home made cider 😀

*dribbles*
Shome!!
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Urg..
u.
u u. .

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Northwind - Member

I'm not generally a fan of it tbh- not allowed beer and took to it as a pint substitute- but [b]thistly cross whisky cask[/b] is lovely imo.

[url= http://www.cideronline.net/online-shop/cider/bottled-ciders/single-variety-ciders/ross-cider-company-single-variety-ciders/ ]That is all.[/url]

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.

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.