Sidewood Cider is a South Australian Cider made at the Sidewood Winery. It has won international awards and is pretty easy to find, But should this be on your shopping list?
We all have heard of a fine red wine aging in a dark cellar for 5, 10 years or even longer if you’re particularly patient with a good bottle. Beer is much more volatile and is best fresh. But what about aging cider? Do you drink it fresh or stash it away, waiting for it to hit its peak? Read More
Methode Perry is a very limited release cider by the Hills Cider Company from South Australia. You’ll see why this is a small run cider when you see how much time and effort goes into making this pear cider.
The Methode Perry started life in 2010. The Hills Company decided to make a French style perry (pear cider) using pears normally used for the fruit bowl, rather than pears bred specially for perry production, mainly because there are next to none of these varieties growing in Australia. Perry pears are famous for being hard to grow, tall trees that mature very slowly. Pears for your heirs as they say.
This is LOBO Cider from Lenswood in South Australia. The Lobo Royale Cider continues the theme of the wolf bottle labels. This member of the pack is a bottle conditioned, cloudy cider. Is this small batch, hand crafted cider, the top dog? Read More
Turning our attention to a Brut(e) of a cider by Lobo Cider. The first time I reviewed a Lobo it was just a bit too sweet for me. Now I get to review Norman by Lobo, their “European” style bottle conditioned dry cider. If I can stop admiring the artwork on the bottle I might lift the cap. Read More
If you have done any reading on Australian Ciders you’ve probably come across an article written by James Adams. Adams has been writing about ciders for a few years now as well as judging the odd cider competition. Now he has turned his palate and cider knowledge to making his cider: Adams Orchard Apple Cider.
The Gentle Folk Cider is probably the smallest real cider company I have every reviewed. When I say company I really mean 3 wine makers experimenting with apples and letting the apples and wild yeast dictate what type of cider they want to be made into. So how does a cider made by the wine markers from such labels as Lucy Margaux (Lucy M), Shob Brook Wines (Didi is their experimental range) and Gentle folk stack up?
“To drink sediment or not to drink sediment that is the question.” – a quote there from William Shakespear’s West Country cousin.
If you speak to enthusiasts about bottle conditioned cider and beers they will tell you its fine to drink sediment and its a source of vitamin B, but doesn’t really add to the taste. Others will say “it will just make one rather windy” and it’s best left in bottle. The Adelaide based Coopers Brewery encourages drinkers to rock the bottle around a bit to mix in the sediment. LOBO Cloudy Cider is unfiltered meaning some of the finer parts of the apples flesh makes it all the way from pressing to the bottle. These along with the dead yeast cells settle at the bottom. In a cunning move LOBO’s website says the following
Pouring LOBO cider, excellent over ice – invert the whole bottle. It can also be rolled gently or poured carefully leaving the sediment in the bottle, each method giving different levels of clarity. The flavour changes, experiment and see which you prefer.
Basically try it a few times in different way see what works for you. I didn’t pour mine over ice, instead I gentle poured the bottle of cloudy cider into the pint glass leaving the sediment in the bottle. I figure the LOBO looks thick and cloudy enough without adding the yeast cells back in. Read More