Producer: Oliver’s https://www.oliversciderandperry.co.uk/
Cider Name: Vintage Fine Cider (Dry, Season 2018)
Region: Herefordshire, Uk
ABV: 8.4%
Taste: Burnt Oak, Vanilla, blue cheese
Served: 750ml bottle (Cool room temperature)
Smell: Oak
Colour: Dark Amber
Clarity: Clear
Carbonation: Still
Review / Tasting notes
“Still, dry cider matured in a vanilla oak cask for 18 or more months. Plum pudding nose, rich burnished colour and full of apple skins, autumnal orchard floor and the old oak barn, got a touch of blue cheese too.”
The high alcohol content of this vintage cider allied by the subtlety of it’s oak barrel-infused flavours, makes this a cider for only the most discerning of palates. Whilst we enjoyed the subtlety of the flavours, we found the fruit taste to be overwhelmed and almost lost.
The up-front bitterness is replaced by smoky burnt oak and vanilla. Smooth and full-bodied, this feels more like an after dinner spirit than a cider. The after taste doesn’t really linger long enough to savour the flavours.
Verdict: This is a mature and very dry cider. It is full of intriguing subtle notes and high in alcohol content (for a cider). We found it a little too subtle and lacking in fruit flavour to score well.
Rating: 4.9
Ranking: To be announced (01/07/2021)