Made by: Tom Oliver

Made in: Herefordshire

Style: Medium Dry

ABV: 5.5%

Carbonation: Very light

Bought: Good Spirits Co. Wine & Beer, Glasgow

Price: £6.00 (500ml bottle)

Producer’s website: Oliver’s

Also from this producer: Traditional Dry; Gold Rush #6

Having had the undiluted pleasure of trying a few ciders from Tom Oliver, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected from the unofficial Grand Wizard of British cidermaking. Tonight’s journey into the unknown is his At The Hop #10, the latest iteration of his cider-infused-with-hops voyage of discovery.

I’ll be honest and admit that, when it comes to food and drink, I am by nature a traditionalist and a bit of a conservative (with a small ‘c’) so I approach this one with a dose of healthy scepticism. Fannying about with cider is a popular trend but it’s not one that sits very comfortably with me. Balancing that out is the fact that everything I’ve tried so far by Oliver has been nothing short of sublime, so I’m prepared to give this cider/beer mash-up a fair hearing. Or at least try to.

At The Hop is basically cider made with bittersweet apples that’s infused with hops. In this case – #10 – it’s UK cascade hops and Czech Kozbek hops that are doing the infusing. It’s described on the bottle as medium dry and it’s 5.5% abv.

TASTING NOTES, AFTER A FASHION:

In the glass, it’s a sort of pale golden amber colour with a very light haze. There is a very natural slight carbonation.

Now for a deep sniff. First impressions are that it’s not recognisably cider at all on the nose. It’s floral, it’s soft and it reeks of tropical fruit – mangoes and pineapple – with distinct lemony notes too. The hops are also very evident. It smells more like a good IPA than a cider.

In the mouth the first hit is much more cider-like. The tropical fruit quickly returns though, alongside the lemony citrus notes, although the flavours are far less pronounced than they are on the nose. There is an engaging, muted sweetness there that helps lift it but there is also an underlying dryness, particularly towards the back end.

It’s effortlessly crisp and clean and just a stunningly elegant, balanced, complex, rich, graceful cider. I’ve read several reviews of the various iterations of the At The Hop range and one criticism that is often levelled at it is that the cider isn’t prominent enough. I don’t think that this is a criticism that can be levelled at #10. It’s most definitely cider but it’s cider taken to a new level, taken in a new direction entirely – but it’s unquestionably still cider. It’s also absolutely delicious and stupidly easy to drink.

Most curiously of all, given the fact that it’s a mix of cider and a key ingredient of beer, it reminds me more of wine than anything else. Specifically, it reminds me of a good New Zealand sauvignon blanc with all that tropical fruit and lemon and crisp acidity. It’s a cider made to wash down a fantastic meal and it delivers all the complexity and grace and balance you’d expect of a decent wine.

It is, in short, sublime.

5️⃣/5️⃣