Cider Infusion from Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula has a cider named Shipwrecked Dry Apple Cider. It’s dry and bottle conditioned so strap on your life jacket and hold on tight.

The Mornington Peninsula is the last obstacle for ships before they arrive in Melbourne.  This is on the shipping route down the east coast all the way down to Melbourne. So, it is no surprise that the peninsula has claimed many ships over the years. These apples come from the southern tip of the region on Cape Schank. Hence the name Shipwrecked.

The Shipwrecked Dry Apple Cider uses traditional cider making apples that get fermented in French oak barrels until all the sugar is gone creating a bone-dry cider. It is back sweetened as it is bottled with more fresh juice. This kicks off the bottle fermentation to give it a bit of fizz, expect a little sediment in the bottle.

I want to take a moment to talk about that label. Perfectly balances the eye-catching design with conveying information. Cider Infusion has managed to squeeze in information like the amount of sugar, something I would love to see more cider makers copy. As well as all the regular mandatory information they also have a batch number. Often when I come back to a cider I find the taste has drifted from what I remember. It is often hard to work out if this is a vintage thing, a bad batch or has the cider been incorrectly handled and stored? This eliminates one of those unknowns.

The Nose

This is as bold as the rocks waiting to create a shipwreck. It is a potent mix of barnyard funk and French oak hanging thick enough to form the hull of Napoleone’s flagship. This all combines into a dank apple riot.

The Taste

Hold on tight the Shipwrecked Cider hits hard, big hits of sour apple. Think of a not quite ripe apple that has spent plenty of time on that French oak. There is a small amount of tannin, just enough to dry your tongue but not your whole mouth.

As it warms there are elements of natural white wine and just the slightest hint of fennel seed. There isn’t too much in the way of sweetness, The finish reminds me of the crispest green apples.

Final Thoughts Cider Infusion Shipwrecked Dry Apple Cider

This is pretty bold, and it took me about half the bottle to get into its groove and work it out. It is going to be confronting for someone new to cider but for the adventurous, it’s pretty good.

Product Cider Infusion Shipwrecked Dry Apple Cider
Company Cider Infusion
Sweetness Dry
ALC/VOL 6.8%
Website ciderinfusion.com/
Country of Origin Australia
Region Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Don’t forget to get your Real Cider Reviews merch