The year is 1980 in Herefordshire, England. Susie and Ivor are new arrives to the area. There is one major cider maker in town. The husband and wife duo saw an opportunity, at that moment Dunkerton’s Cider was born. Dunkerton’s Dry Organic Cider is one of their flagship ciders. 
Dunkerton’s is now run by Susie and Ivor’s son Julian Dunkerton, the fashionistas out there will know that name as the founder of a little t-shirt company called Super Dry.

Susie and Ivor developed a recipe for the Dunkerton’s Dry Organic including Foxwhelp, Balls Bitter Sweet, Yarlington Mill, Stoke Red, Brown Snout. The Brown Snout is an interesting apple It was discovered in Herefordshire and propagated by the Bulmers cider company. It’s low in malic acid and high in tannin, the bitter-sweet apple is pretty commonly used in Herefordshire ciders even though it is terribly susceptible to fire blight.

Dunkerton’s work with local orchards. They specify organic fruit. As an organic orchard can’t use pesticides they need to look for creative and more natural methods. Between each row of apples the grass grows. Over the summer the grass needs to be cut. Instead of mowing the whole orchard every other row is cut. This leaves habitat for insects. In a healthy orchard there will be more beneficial insects than harmful insects. Take the lady-beetle, they look cute but they are ruthless hunters who will prey on insects that can damage the apples. So selectively driving a lawn mower can reduce chemical demands. Duckerton's Organic Dry Cider

The Nose

The earthy Herefordshire scent that I have learnt so much about recently. Beneath that lies a lemon zest even a hint of a spicy Indian mango chutney.

The Taste

Dunkerton’s Dry Organic Cider is a full flavour but its light and easy to drink. With all the sugars fully fermented out of the bittersweet apples, the only thing left behind is the bitters. The bitter-sharp apples add a much-needed freshness. The real fruit is evident, apples like these are pretty much unlike anything else, the closest I can get is dark and tart berries.
The finish on this cloudy cider is undoubtedly dry. It leaves behind a bitter chalky aftertaste.

Final Thoughts on Dunkerton’s Dry Organic Cider

Dunkerton’s Dry Organic Cider is such a textural cider it needs to be matched with something bothcomplementary and contradictory. Contradictory in a smooth creamy cheese to offset the chalky dry finish. While a fruit chutney would be complimentary to the spicy nose.
A very fine example of a well made Herefordshire cider. Earthy nose, dry fruit forward taste. Textbook Herefordshire.

Product Dunkerton’s Dry Organic Cider
Company Dunkerton’s
Sweetness  Dry
Alc/Vol 6.9%
Website dunkertonscider.co.uk
Country of Origin England
Region Herefordshire

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