Kelly Brothers Sparkling Cider

Kelly Brother’s cider prides itself on traditional techniques. The brothers use Yarra Valley apples pressed on proper old-fashioned gear to make a medium sweetness cider called “Kelly Brothers Sparkling Cider”.

So when the Kelly Brothers came to making a cider they wanted to do it properly. Their press was second-hand when they bought it 40 odd years ago. A press is the only way to get the real juice from real apples into your cider.

We know you can’t get a quality product by starting with apple juice concentrate and then trying to brew it. All you end up with is fermented cordial – which tastes as bad as it sounds. – Kelly Brothers

The first time I tried Kelly Brothers I felt a bit like William Morton the father of anaesthetic, he experimented on himself. Both of us felt the effect before we had a chance to record the results of experiments. So after taking it a bit slower I was able to write this review.

The Nose

This is going to sound very odd. The first thing that came to mind was smoked oysters. On closer inspection it’s definitely in there, subtle but present. For the second bottle I might try another pint glass.

Ok second tasting. New glass, new bottle, no oysters. However there is a bit of smokiness coupled with dark apple flavours.

The Taste

Kelly brothers have managed to squeeze out 7% alcohol without loosing any sweetness. This can make it a pretty potent drink. Easy to drink with a big kick.  A full and creamy mouth feel makes this a very solid cider.

The sweetness here brings out a lot of different fruity flavours, think melon, peach and of course rich apples.

Final Thoughts on Kelly Brothers Sparkling Cider

This is a six-pack to bring to barbecue with the boys. I did this recently and even the most hard-core beer fans enjoyed one or two of these as the chops sizzle on the grill. Just enough sweetness to convince them that they weren’t scared off by my love of super dry ciders.

35°C next to the BBQ ice-cold Kelly Brothers Sparkling Cider in hand as we watched a massive storm roll over Sydney Harbour. What more could you ask for from a Sydney summer?

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