Darkes Brewing Dry Cider

Darkes Brewing Dry Cider is hard to find. In a little microclimate between Sydney and Woolongong sits Darkes Forrest. In the middle of the forest, Gum Trees give way to a hidden apple orchard. That’s where Darkes Brewing make their Dry Cider

The idea behind Darkes Brewing Dry Cider is simple. Late in summer when it is time to pick the apples it gets pretty hot on the Aussie East Coast. So, the team wanted to create a cider that would be refreshing and relaxing after a long hot day in the orchard. That meant it had to be a dry cider.

The Nose

I’m not getting many scents out of this wine glass, the only thing I’m getting is a little bit of juicy apple. I hope that I’m not being thrown off by the smell of the ocean as I sit on the balcony overlooking the beach watching the sun go down as I drink this cider.

And that, my friends, is my entry into the Humble Brag of the year awards.

The Taste

Darkes Brewing has managed something very unusual. This has all the fruity characteristics of something much sweeter but in a nearly bone-dry format. It has big hits of fresh apple juice that seem a little oxidized. If you have ever had a farm pressed apple juice, you know what I mean. Then wave after wave of tiny spiky bubbles. I think it is meant to be drunk quickly before it warms because as it does the crisp edge softens into something a bit clingier.

Final Thoughts on the Darkes Brewing Dry Cider

If the mission was to create an after-work bevvy that could be smashed before walking home, when served ice cold, this absolutely fits the brief.  Is simple and straight forward but that’s all it needs to be, and it does it well.

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