I found a bottle of cider from the end of the UK. Cornish Orchards Heritage Cider celebrates the areas rich cider making history and had won a few awards along the way.
The Cornish have been making cider for about as long as anywhere else in the UK. After the end of the second world war, the number of orchards began to decline. The orchards were transformed into other farms like dairies. In 1992 Andy Atkinson started dairy farming a plot in Cornwell.
In 1999 the Cornish Council started a program to restore the area’s heritage. Atkinson saw this as an opportunity to help restore some of the indigenous cider apple varieties. Before too long he had planted 3 Orchards and was selling cider in the local markets.
Cornish Orchards have chosen some English cider apples and some local traditional varieties, such as Cornish Longstem and Tommy Knight. It is meant to be a celebration of the local cider culture. 
The Nose
Before I get onto the smell. Let’s take a moment to look at that colour, it’s a marvellously dark orange. The heritage cider is best described as Trump with an extra coat of furniture polish… I’ve said too much.
But the smell is a glass full of autumn, damp leaves, ripe windfall apples and just a hint of orange blossom.
The Taste
Cornish Orchards’ Heritage Cider is thick and boisterous with a fine bead. It balances the line between sweet and bitter perfectly. The Heritage Cider is all about highlighting the fruit. The Cornish Longstem and Tommy Knight apples give this a rich, morish taste overripe apples and Jaffa orange elements
The head on the cider lasts well past the half a pint mark, which is a long time in a slow sipper like this. A long, tannin-filled finish begging you to savour the last sip before the taking the next.
Final Thoughts on the Cornish Orchards Heritage Cider
There is a place for cider makers to push the envelope and try new things. At the same time, it is nice that others choose to keep the old traditions and the genetic diversity of the rare apples alive.
Some of the modern ciders are easy to drink quickly. Cornish Orchards Heritage Cider is the other end of that spectrum. This one is best savoured over lunch. Pub lunch anyone?
| Product | Heritage Cider |
| Company | Cornish Orchards |
| Sweetness | Medium Dry |
| Alc/Vol | 5% |
| Website | cornishorchards.co.uk |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Region | Duloe, Cornwall |
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July 6, 2017
Some years ago I enjoyed a dry cider purchased at our wine monopoly. Clear bottle with a styliced drawing of an apple tree with a river meander on the right side. Thought it was called something like bend organic cider. Can’t find it any more at our monopoly, could you help me with a full name and reference.
July 6, 2017
I’m not sure, it may have been a seasonal or vintage edition so it might be out of production. What country did you buy it in UK or Australia?