Lucky Duck Cider Company

I have to be honest I wasn’t expecting much from this Lucky Duck Cider when I picked it up in the shop. I first heard about it on social media. This coupled with a trendy label, I thought it was going to be all show and no go. Boy was I wrong.

“Anatidaephobia” is the fear that somewhere in the world, there is a duck watching you. Why wouldn’t you be scared of ducks, they swim, walk, fly and I’m pretty sure they have a network of subterranean tunnels they plan to use for world domination.

Showing up at events like the Tour de France, Sydney’s “So Frenchy So Chic” and the City 2 Surf somebody in a skin tight Duck suit has been partying hard. Cheap publicity is working wonders for this small company. Their Facebook page is great for a laugh if you’re into duck based memes, some NSWF (language warning). It’s  working for them people are talking about them.

The Lucky Duck himself

What interests me about cider is how the apples were grown, what’s the soil like, how was the cider was made and how does this effects the taste of the end product.  Lucky Duck get a few points for this. Firstly they say they are on the hunt for the best Braeburn apples. One of the better known apples from New Zealand, its an excellent apple to cook with. The Braeburn is thought to be cross between between the Aussie Granny Smith and the Lady Hamilton, neither of these are famed for making top notch ciders. The Braeburn is tart though and that comes through in the flavour of the Lucky Duck. The Braeburn has its floors, commercially its is unappealing because if stored incorrectly the flesh can turn brown. It’s also susceptible to a number of diseases. This has lead breeders to breed out the bad quality and keep the good qualities, their efforts have brought us the Jazz apple.

Lucky Duck is  “Proudly made in Melbourne”. The big city is not an apple growing region but there are some excellent apples regions in Victoria. According to Aussieapples.com.au just under 40% of Australia’s apple crop comes from Victoria.  It’s unclear how many of these are Braeburns as its not a very common apple in the supermarkets which is a bit of a shame really.

So points go to Lucky Duck Cider Company for telling me its made from Braeburns and made in Melbourne. But none of this tells me about the Terroir but its much more information than you would get from most brands.

Tasting Notes

Cold from the fridge, poured gentle over a few ice cubes into a wide mouthed pint glass.

The Nose

Here we go. This is go to be an acidic hit.

The Taste

Well I wasn’t expecting that.  I don’t know what that flavour is but I like it. It’s a hard one to describe but here goes: Its something that you have to think about. Its got a hint of the first mandarin of the season that needed a day or two on the tree. Next comes a full on quince hit. Then the flavour quickly fades away leaving you confused, bewildered and wanting another slip just to double check your tongue isn’t playing games with you.

Then you remember its made from Braeburns, not a traditional cider apple, but a cooker, for tarts. Tart is the key word there.  Suddenly its starting to makes sense.

Pairing Ideas

The final piece of the puzzle was when I tried it with a piece of buttery Camembert cheese. It was like those tart Braeburns where home again wrapped up in a buttery crusted apple pie.

Final Thoughts on Lucky Duck Cider

This is as confusing as a man in a skin tight duck suit running up Heart Break Hill. High acidity, and a big powerful aroma. I would recommend sitting down before drinking this one. Its got so much going on your going to want to sit down and think about it for a bit.

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