Incy Wincy Cyder Wild 2017

Incy Wincy Cyder Wild 2017 has been on the market for a little while but it is a cider that can age well. It uses wild yeast to turn the apple juice into real apple cider.

So, this wild yeast, where does it come from? Do you need to send a team of cowboys into them hills to wrangle the yeast? Well sort of, only just swap the cowboys for fruit pickers. Yeast exists naturally pretty much everywhere. Different strands of yeast will evolve to suit the local environment. There are yeasts on the apples in the orchard down in Batlow that will be suited to their cold winters and bright crisp autumn days. There will be different yeast at the Wollombi cider house in the Hunter Valley which is typically a little warmer in winter. Both these will make their way into the cider either via the apple skin or during processing in the cider house. Of course, these different yeasts have different characteristics. Some might not like living in apple juice, others may thrive. But each will add their own style to the flavour.

At one point in time the yeast in your favourite beer, wine even bread, were wild but after yeast of isolating and evolution, they have been perfected. Oddly this is why wild yeasts are fun, new and exciting. Who knows what new flavour you’re going to get? The cider makers at Incy Wincy Cider have a tough and somewhat experimental job of providing the right conditions for the right yeast to thrive.

The Nose

The Wild is wild. Gently pour the bottle into a pint. I try and keep the sediment in the bottle but there is no holding back that scent of hay in the horse stable and apple cider vinegar. It came at me like an incy wincy spider monkey. The scent here is so solid, blokey and almost metallic. It mellows out as the pint warms up.

The Taste

Now, remember this is a wild yeast fermented. Anything can happen. The first sip can be jarring with the high acid levels. It sort of reminds me of Spanish “Sidre”. But ease into it, match it with some creamy cheeses. There is plenty of bright and fresh apple tones even for a 3-year-old cider. Plenty of spice and very tart it grows on you quickly.

Final Thoughts on the Incy Wincy Cider Wild 2017

The first sip may shock you. Wash it away with a second and maybe even a third sip. It grows on you like a colony of yeast in a cider shed, once it’s in your mouth its always there growing on you. By the second half of the pint, you’ll be wishing it was only the first half.

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