Made by: Weston’s Cider

Made in: Much Marcle, Herefordshire

Style: Medium Dry

ABV: 7.3%

Carbonation: Lightly Sparkling

Bought: Waitrose

Price: £2.09 (500ml bottle)

Producer’s website: Westons Cider

Supermarket own label cider. There’s a thought. But we’re not talking the Tesco Value range, we’re talking Waitrose and not only is it a vintage cider from a single year’s harvest (2018), it’s also made from 100% fresh pressed apple juice – and Waitrose clearly know enough about cider to realise that this fact is important to some folk, so they’ve made it nice and prominent on the label.

They’ve also realised that admitting who makes it for them – Westons – is probably A Good Thing. They didn’t used to do this. They’ve been making this English Vintage Cider for years and it never used to mention who actually makes the stuff for them on the packaging. That seems to me like progress towards transparency and honesty and that is also A Good Thing.

The upshot is that the bottle now says ‘Waitrose in partnership with Westons Cider’ and mentions on the back label that it’s made by the Herefordshire cider house ‘in consultation with our buyer’, whatever that might mean. Whatever input Waitrose had, one thing they should be commended for is insisting that the cider is 100% juice because as far as I can tell, that’s not a characteristic of other Westons ciders.

As a rule, the sharp and tannic Herefordshire style is right up my street so here goes.

TASTING NOTES, AFTER A FASHION:

It’s super-bright, crystal clear and bubbly as most supermarket-sold ciders tend to be and is a deep gold in the glass, no doubt partly down to the time spent maturing in old oak vats.

On the nose it’s surprisingly lightweight and almost bland. It’s not giving much away at this point.

Get it in the mouth, though and it’s a big, chunky, full whack of tannin-laden apple up front. The power and weight of the 7.3% abv is impossible to miss too but there’s an enticing sweetness that’s tempered by a nice acid sharpness and a pronounced astringency that grows and develops. Everything meshes nicely and the acidity and tannins give it a pronounced but not overpowering bite and keep it crisp and thirst-quenching.

The finish is tight as a drum and clean with a billowing dryness that comes in waves and invites you back for more.

For me, it’s reminiscent of a slightly boisterous but well behaved traditional farmhouse job. The oak has added a roundness, a smoothness and taken off some of the rougher edges. It might have been even better with those rough edges left in, but it’s a very nicely balanced drop and it certainly works for me. Bold, rich and full. 

4️⃣/5️⃣