Real Cider

All our cider is “real cider”. Meaning that it is made out of apples (or pears in the case of perry)!

(Shocking as it may seem, some cider has very little to do with apples. Much of it is well under 50% apple juice and frequently that is imported as concentrated juice from countries such as China. Mostly it is simply fermented sugar syrup with colouring to make it look like cider; apple juice is only added to the minimum level required to meet HMRC’s definition of cider.)

Real cider is made from undiluted fresh apple juice. That gives it real flavour. It is not for getting drunk quickly and cheaply, or indeed at all! It is for savouring either by itself or with food. Enjoy it – and drink responsibly.

Ciders Past and Future

The ciders listed below were available in previous years, but are out of stock (although some may be still available in retail outlets). We may have some again in the future.

“Dab Tom” Cider (6.5% ABV) –This cider is made purely from apples —Tom Putt (23%), Dabinett (24% ), Tremletts Bitter (25%) and 10 other varieties such as Ribston Pippin, Belle de Boskoop, Monarch and Rosemary Russet —from our orchard 650 feet up on a fell side in the Lake District. The summer of 2018 yielded a good crop of quality apples. A long cold fermentation has resulted in a well-balanced cider — fresh but full-flavoured with a slightly earthy and dry finish. Drink by itself or with rich foods such as goose or mildly spicy dishes as well as pork, ham, poultry, cheese and many vegetarian dishes. Serve at cellar temperature (not cold). Although ready to drink when bottled, it will benefit from maturation in the bottle for up to two years.

Belle de Boskoop (7.2%) – This cider is made purely from apples — mainly Belle de Boskoop (45%), Scotch Bridget (26%) and Dabinett (20% ) — from our orchard 650 feet up on a fell side in the Lake District. Belle de Boskoop is thought to be a bud sport of Reinette de Montfort: found by K.J.W. Ottolander, Boskoop, The Netherlands in 1856.This aromatic multi-purpose apple handles the Cumbrian climate very well.

The cider is richly-flavoured with a slight earthiness. Drink by itself or with rich foods such as goose or a well-hung pheasant, or with mildly spicy dishes as well as pork, poultry, cheese and many vegetarian dishes. Serve at cellar temperature (not cold).

Although ready to drink when bottled (December 2019), it will benefit from maturation in the bottle for up to two years.

West is Best (5.9%) – West Country cider apples, three of which constitute about 90% of this cider, also thrive in the equally damp climate of West Cumbria. While cooler here, our long summer days, when the sun scarcely sets on our orchard, create beautifully-flavoured apples.

The glorious summer of 2018 gave an outstanding crop of Tom Putt and the bittersweet apples Tremlett’s Bitter and Major — all from originating from the West Country. To these were added a bit of Katy from Sweden.

Tasting notes:- Spicy aroma with whisky overtones. Full fruit on the palate with a dry but smooth finish. Drink with pork, chicken or fish dishes, or any vegetarian dish that is not too spicy — or just drink it by itself with maybe a bit of cheese.

Although ready to drink from early 2020, it will mature further in the bottle for up to two years.

Brown Snout (6.8% alc.) – This cider is made from apples grown in Ennerdale and in our own orchard at Mosser. It features two heritage bittersweet cider apples rarely found in Cumbria—Brown Snout and Kingston Black, supplemented by the tart and spicy flavours of Tom Putt, Orleans Reinette and Scotch Bridget.Carefully matured for over 18 months in our cool barn, it has deep fruit aromas that seem more tropical than Cumbrian. The rich flavour is balanced by a slight acidity with a dry but smooth finish. Delicious by itself, slightly chilled, it also goes brilliantly with pork, chicken, cheese and many vegetarian dishes.

Tom Putt (5.6% alc.) – This cider is made purely from apples (44% Tom Putt, 43% Tremlett’s Bitter and a few others) grown in our orchard 650 feet up on a fell side in the Lake District.

The summer of 2016 gave an excellent crop of the ever-reliable Tom Putt and the biennial Tremlett’s Bitter, which adds depth. A long cold fermentation has resulted in a fruity-fresh cider with a flowery apricot aroma with and a dry finish. Drink by itself or with rich foods such as goose or mildly spicy dishes as well as pork, poultry, cheese and many vegetarian dishes. Serve at cellar temperature (not cold)

Dabinett (7.2% alc.) – This cider is made purely from apples (Dabinett, Monarch and Ashmead’s Kernel) grown in our orchard 650 feet up on a fell side in the Lake District. This challenging environment, coupled with the long summer days, grows apples which have a deep aroma and flavour. A long cold fermentation and maturation results in this unique cider. With a fruity aroma and rich flavour, it can be drunk with mildly spicy dishes as well as pork, poultry and cheese.

"Orchard Belles" (ABV 6.4%) - This cider is made purely from our own apples from the 2020 harvest. Fourteen different apple varieties have gone into making it. Tremletts Bitter (29%) provides structure, Tom Putt (17%) adds freshness while Belle de Boskoop (11%) and various other russet apples give extra aroma, flavour and balance. The juices were fermented and matured in cold conditions and then carefully blended to result in this fine cider. The result is a fruity, smooth and refreshing dry cider which is great to drink by itself or paired with fish, cheese, pork or poultry, or with a variety of vegetarian dishes.

Although ready to drink from December 2022, it will develop in the bottle for up to two years.

“Russet Tom” Cider (6.5% ABV) – This cider is made purely from apples —Tom Putt (50%), various russet apples such as Ashmead’s Kernel and Rosemary Russet (21%) and bittersweets such as Major and Tremletts Bitter (23% ) together with a few other varieties —from our orchard 650 feet up on a fell side in the Lake District.

The summer of 2019 yielded a moderate crop of good quality apples. A long cold fermentation has resulted in a well-balanced dry cider with moderate tannins and a full fruit flavour. This is ideal for drinking with a wide range of foods including cheese, vegetarian dishes, slightly spicy foods and old favourites such as pork.

Serve at cellar temperature (not cold). Although ready to drink from 2021, it will mature further in the bottle for up to two years. Available in bottles only.

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