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Huon Valley

Willie Smiths Kingston Black 2022
1 year ago

Willie Smiths Kingston Black 2022

It’s been 4 years since I last had the annual release of Willie Smiths Kingston Black. I very much enjoyed it back then. But the question is how has it changed over the years and is it still as tasty?

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Willie Smith’s Pet Nat
3 years ago

Willie Smith’s Pet Nat

Pet Nat wines are all the rage at the moment, probably because of their cider like qualities. It was only a matter of time until we started to see Pet Nat Ciders hitting the market. Willie Smith’s Pet Nat Sturmer Pippin Cider is one of the first to fit that bill. Read More

Willie Smith’s Whisky Aged
6 years ago

Willie Smith’s Whisky Aged

This is Willie Smith’s Whisky Aged Cider. I often talk about a sense of place with a cider. Apples reflect the soil they’re rooted in. Vintages reflect the season. Wild yeasts native to a cider house sneak in with a signature flourish. A simple glass of cider can be a lesson in everything from meteorology to geography and even history. Read More

Willie Smith’s Traditional 2017 Cider
6 years ago

Willie Smith’s Traditional 2017 Cider

Willie Smith’s have set me a challenge. Pint or flute, flute or pint. The Traditional 2017 Cider has been in the planning for several years. Finally, I get to see what the Willie Smiths Traditional 2017 Cider is all about. Read More

Willie Smith’s Organic Perry
9 years ago

Willie Smith’s Organic Perry

This isn’t the first Willie Smith I’ve reviewed here. Today it’s their newest member in the family named Willie Smith’s Organic Perry. Is there going to be any sibling rivalry?

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Two Metre Tall Real Tasmanian Apple Cider
10 years ago

Two Metre Tall Real Tasmanian Apple Cider

Two Metre Tall is probably the most diverse producer that I have reviewed. Not only do they produce top notch cider but beef and beers as well. The 600ha small farm is in a pretty unique position in the Derwent Valley, low rain fall but access to the Derwent River. The apple are grown in the Huon Valley . But one of the most interesting things about this cider is the example that it provides to other Cider makers and the Australian government in regards to what should be on a label.
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Frank’s Summer Apple Cider
10 years ago

Frank’s Summer Apple Cider

Frank’s Summer Apple Cider is as straight forward as cider gets. “We don’t muck around.” That’s how Frank grew apples. Now his grandaughter has taken over the “Woodside” orchard.  Some of the trees are over 80 years old which is a pretty rare thing on the Australian cider scene, but the Tasmanian Huon Valley provides the perfect conditions for growing apples as we’ve seen in the Willies Smiths and Pagan Ciders  reviews. Read More

Willie Smiths Organic Apple Cider Review
10 years ago

Willie Smiths Organic Apple Cider Review

I’ve been looking forward to reviewing Willie Smiths Organic Apple Cider. To understand this real cider you need to understand its heritage. Back in 1888 Willie Smith planted an apple orchard. Today these apples are hand-picked to make a cloudy French farmhouse style cider.

Willie Smiths orchard is nestled down in Tasmania’s Huon Valley. Where the air is said to be some of the purest air in the world and some of the freshest rain comes direct from the south pole. All this makes for great conditions growing apples. Willie Smiths are doing their best to maintain this environment by becoming fully organic certified. They claim this can improve the nutritional value of the cider. This is the truer to form, to Willie Smiths it is the traditional way. They don’t need anything artificial, in the soil or the cider. They care about their farm, their drinkers, and Tasmania. I love the fact that they’re not letting a multi-nation agribusiness prescribe their newest “Ultra Root Booster” or “Caterpillar Killer 1000” for a short-term gain. Knowing that long-term they will harm the ecosystem of the orchard long-term. Willie Smiths knows that the Huon Valley is a fundamental part of their cider. It is an asset worth preserving .
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