Drinking in the Cool and refreshing on a long summer evening or a hot sunny afternoon, cider’s getting a bit of a revamp at the moment with all kinds of innovative things being thrown into the mix. New Welsh producers are bringing oak and rum casks into production, pressing apples by hand, reinventing orchards, dabbling with dragons and involving local communities. All to produce a cider for every palate, from Anglesey to Ponty. And it’s just in time for the good weather. So, whether you like a hint of fizz and fruit or prefer a deep and dark complex taste, we have the cider for you. Now, how do you like them apples?
Apple County - Deciderly Good Whitehouse Farm lives near Skenfrith, Monmouthshire, snug between the Brecon Beacons National Park and the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Channelling their inner winemakers, cidermakers Ben and Steph use slow, cool fermentation methods and select only a single variety of apple for each type of cider. They installed the first terraced orchards in Wales, to maximise that elusive Welsh sun, and the cider tastes all the better for it. Tasting notes: bottled as Vilberie Medium Dry, Dabinett Medium and Yarlington Mill Medium Sweet, the taste ranges from light apple juice with a bit of a kick to deep mellow flavours with a brandy-like finish. Drink it: with raspberry or rhubarb fruit juice for a sweeter, pinker taste. Find out more: http://applecountycider.co.uk/
Gwynt y Ddraig: Breathe a Cider Relief Gwynt y Ddraig, the wind of the dragon, is a firebreathing brewery in Llantwit Fardr near Pontypridd with apples picked and pressed by hand. Born as a hobby in 2001, Gwynt now sells in seven countries worldwide, carrying names like Welsh Warrior and Black Dragon into the collective cider consciousness. Farmer’s Pride and the Fiery Fox mingle with the Old Crow and Farmhouse Vintage Scrumpy, making a tasting session sound like a mix between Dylan Thomas and Roald Dahl. But it’s the Gold Medal Cider, the first CAMRA gold award for Welsh cider producers, that remains their pride and joy. Tasting notes: oak-induced subtle aroma of autumn leaves. Smooth with a bit of a mineral kick. Drink it: with Dragon’s Caerphilly cheese. Find out more: https://www.gwyntcidershop.com/
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