Simple Cider Cox’s Orange Pippin

When was the last time you tasted something with a direct connection to the 1890’s? Tasmania’s Simple Cider make their Cox’s Orange Pippin Cider from trees, dating back to the start of Tassie agricultural history.

In 1897 a field full of Cox’s Orange Pippin was planted. Over time the surrounding Huon Valley was planted out in more and more apples. Unfortunately, many of them were pulled out to make way for dairy and sheep farms in the 1970’s and 80’s. Somehow this orchard survived the chop.

The Simple Cider Cox’s Orange Pippin goes to incredible lengths to keep it as simple as possible. Only one type of apple is used; Cox’s Orange Pippin. It’s pressed very lightly, think of it like extra virgin apple juice. Any pulp that comes through in the press is allowed to be fermented. Speaking of the ferment, this thing is wild. Most of the yeasts in the Simple Cider come from the skins of the fruit. A dash of cultured yeast is also thrown in. The Simple cider spends time on lees, nothing is filtered out, the only thing that is added is a bit of sugar into to the bottle for tirage. Basically what that means is some sugar is put into the bottle before sealing it, because nothing is filtered out, the yeast is still in the liquid so it can go to town eating that sugar. The end result is a dry cider with a bumped up alcohol content but most importantly plenty of bubbles. Essentially this cider could have been made any time in the last 120 years, it doesn’t need modern equipment just a deep understanding of cider making.

The Nose.

Imagine yourself on a dry dusty road, lined with orange trees blossoming along the roadside. Simple Cider has managed to bottle that scene.

The Taste

The balance here between the dryness and the tartness is bang on, one highlights the other. As the Simple Cider Cox’s Orange Pippin warms it goes from tart to thick and a little bit… I want to say luxurious. This cloudy, sun-bleached grass coloured cider is vigorously bubbly out of the bottle. The finish is long and begs for another sip. There is a bit of heat from alcohol with the Simple Cider’s coming in at 7.5%.

Final Thoughts on the Simple Cider Cox’s Orange Pippin

If you are looking for a pairing idea, there is something late in the taste reminds me of a dab of wasabi. I think this matched with some sashimi would be a real treat. It’ll cut through rich salmon and tuna and clean the palate.
When you have a cider made with care, patience and quality cider apples keeping the things simple lets the Simple Cider Cox’s Orange Pippin shine.

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