Made by: Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Company

Made in: Broome Farm, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire

Style: Dry

ABV: 6.7%

Carbonation: Very Light (Bottle Conditioned)

Bought: Good Spirits Co. Wine & Beer, Glasgow

Price: £9.00 (750ml bottle)

Producer’s website: Ross-on-Wye Cider

Also by this producer: Raison d’Etre 2017

This offering won First Prize in the Dry Perry category at the 2019 Big Apple Perry Trials in Putley which is no mean feat and suggests that it’s another fine offer from one of Herefordshire’s most celebrated producers in the world of proper cider and perry.

As the name suggests, the perry is a blend of whole juice from three different perry pear varieties all from unsprayed orchards: Blakeney Red for fruitiness and sweetness, Bartestree Squash for body and softness and Barland, a centuries old variety that adds acidity and tannin. (I’m trusting that blending only varieties that start with ‘B’ had no marketing element to it whatsoever.)

The perry is wild fermented and it’s from the 2017-2018 vintages.

The labelling is modern, slick and honest – it mentions the fact that 0.5% of the content is sugar – and it also features a little map of the orchard (right) highlighting exactly where the pear trees grow. It’s a silly little thing but, for me, it just adds something to the whole experience.

TASTING NOTES, AFTER A FASHION:

Being bottle conditioned, this perry has thrown a little sediment in the bottle and the liquid is quite cloudy in a perfectly endearing way. It’s a typical pale perry colour, faintly greeny yellow and there’s a little fizz to it from the bottle conditioning.

On the nose there’s a pleasant musty yeastiness with some soft, elegant pear fruit and some very lightly citrussy creaminess. It’s vaguely reminiscent of a good Champagne, in fact.

In the mouth it’s a lively, vibrant and energetic drop full of crisp pear, lovely floral qualities and a gentle acidity and some minerality that keeps the whole deal tight and refreshing. There’s plenty of body to it with some soft tannins towards the end that build towards a finish that is exquisitely delicate and fragile and perfumed with some very subtle spicy notes to round off a joyous mouthful.

It’s a layered and complex and quite rich yet somehow has a delicateness to it. A lovely example of why perry is so damn fine when it’s down well.

4️⃣.5️⃣/5️⃣