New Zealand

This is the final chapter on my 4 part series looking at some of the best cider from New Zealand that I could find in Australia. Today I return to  Zeffer’s cider house to review the Zeffer Dry Crisp Apple Cider. Only problem is it’s now called Zeffers Crisp Apple Cider. Read More

Round three on my cider tour of New Zealand (from the comfort of the couch) sees me sampling a Weka Apple Cider,  Moa Breweries entry into the cider game.

I come into this review with a level of scepticism. Weka is made by Moa. Moa is a beer company, a rapidly growing beer company. I’m always dubious of beer brewers making Cider. It seems the bigger the company the less chance that real apples are used in the cider. I got even more worried when I found out that one of the brewers on the Moa team is the ex-head brewer of Heineken, they don’t get much bigger than that.

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Zeffer Cider is the next in my series of Real Cider Reviews from New Zealand. Zeffer’s story is one about experimentation and having a goal in mind to make real ciders in the styles that  Sam (Zeffer’s head cider maker) wanted to make. “Zeffer Cider Slack Ma Girdle” is the most traditional in the range. So that seemed the best place to start. Read More

It’s fair to say that Kiwi ciders haven’t had a good run on Real Cider Reviews lately. I know they must have been making some quality cider so I’ve made a point to try a couple from across the ditch. 8 Wired Brewing Co is a beer company that has recently branched out into cider. Their first creation is the Dry Oaked Sparkling Cider. Read More

Normally when I’m looking for a cider to review I go to a local interdependent bottle shop. I either see whats new in stock or ask the staff what they would recommend.  However, today, I was at the shopping center and dropped into the LiquorLand. I looked up and down the “cider” fridge: Kopperberg, Mangers, Bulmers, this isn’t looking good.That should have been my first clue . Then I saw one that I hadn’t seen before. The Streamrail Silky Spider Apple Spider.
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Rochdale Cider has the privilege of being the first Cider I’ve reviewed from across the ditch. New Zealand has a strong apple-growing heritage, particularly developing favourites like the Braeburn, as seen in the Lucky Duck Cider. Rochdale Cider has a lot going on – it may be too much.Rochdale has used some interesting marketing on the label. The abundance of facts about company, the product and what you can expect is a bit over whelming.

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