Made by: Henney’s Cider Co

Made in: Bishop’s Frome, Herefordshire. 

Style: Dry

ABV: 6%

Carbonation: Lightly Sparkling

Bought: Waitrose

Price: £2.09 (500ml bottle)

Producer’s website: Henney’s

Henney’s started out, as so many great adventures do, in an airing cupboard. Mike Henney got into making cider in 1996 as a hobby and it apparently got out of hand and the company is now one of the better known real ciders in the game with wide distribution including through Waitrose, where I bought mine.

Mike’s preferred apples are cider-making bittersweet classics like Dabinett, Ashton Bitter, Tremletts Bitter, Yarlington Mill and Michelin and the fruit is sourced from Herefordshire. All of Henney’s ciders bear the PGI (Protected Geographic Indicator) stamp of EU approval verifying that only apples from Herefordshire are used.

Henney’s Dry contains no artificial sweeteners, colourings or flavourings, which gets two thumbs up.

TASTING NOTES, AFTER A FASHION:

A deep gold in the glass, it’s rich and full on the nose with notes of dense dried fruit, maybe a little spice and a touch of that pleasing mustiness that characterises ciders that haven’t been polished up too much.

On the palate it’s big and full and has a chunky apple kick up-front that settles down into a lovely sharp crispness. There’s virtually no sweetness. It’s not bone dry but it’s getting there, the tannins just lining themselves up perfectly for a refreshing treat on a roasting hot day.

Going back in for more, there’s plenty of depth and structure in there with some leathery hints and maybe a tiny but of something exotic – but you have to go looking for it. A cracker for a warm day.

4️⃣ / 5️⃣