Flying Brick Pear Cider is the latest member of this Bellarine cider house’s line up. A crystal clear 4.9% Pear cider, that shows off some of Victoria’s best pears.
Pear Ciders have always troubled me. I’ve learnt what I know about ciders from the “classic” cider experts and their books who always referred to a cider like drink made from pear juice as a Perry. A fine drink, once more prestigious to the nobles of Europe than Champagne. But today a trip to the bottle shop probably won’t yield a single perry, yet the shelves will have plenty of pear ciders. So what is a pear cider?
Flying Brick have made their pear cider from Packham pears, typically an eating pear. I think that there is the key difference between a perry and pear cider, pear choice. Once free of the historical implications of what a perry is, Flying Brick can freely play with the drink.
Nyall Condon is the head cider maker at Flying Brick. He said that the goals of the pear cider were florals, dryness and purity. The idea was to make a champagne-like cider in its’ mouth feel with the dryness of a brut. The floral traits come from the pears which are sourced from Harcourt. I’ve written about the fruit from Harcourt before and their floral traits.
The Nose
A sharp hit of pear flesh, It’s almost spicy. There is a dash of citrus. Comparable to a wedge of lime over a piece of fried fish.
The Taste
The taste is instant, it is only there for a moment and you got to have another sip to double check if you have drunk the first. There is a more of that spice carried over from the nose. There is a certain level of a dusty musk that reminds me of a fine Australian sparkling wine. If you let the cider sit in your mouth for a moment, it forms a thick moose with an airy head. The finish is clean and crisp, a real palate cleanser.
Final Thoughts on the Flying Brick Pear Cider
This is a pretty good pear cider with many fine points. I can’t help but think how great this cider could be if perhaps it had been bottle conditioned. Could it turn a good pear cider into a seriously premium product? If you like pear ciders, go out of your way to hunt this one down.
| Product | Pear Cider |
| Company | Flying Brick |
| Sweetness | Off-Dry |
| ALC/VOL | 4.9% |
| Website | flyingbrickciderco.com.au |
| Country of Origin | Australia |
| Region | Bellerine, Victoria |
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September 4, 2016
Hello, why make the distinction between Perry and Pear cider? basically the same except for the name, or is there more to it than that? Great site by the way.
September 5, 2016
To me, a perry is made from perry pear varieties, while a pear cider can use any pear. This is not a universal definition just a personal one. In this case, the pears used are normally eating pears.
September 5, 2016
Thanks Hugh for clearing that up, makes sense.