Description
DISCOVER THE GREATEST CIDERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
YOUR INVITATION TO A TUTORED TASTING IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME
USE CODE ICT21 FOR FREE DELIVERY
£60 TASTING
- price per tasting pack per household, minimum of 3 households – includes delivered price of 12 bottles in total to 3 addresses (3 x 4) and a 60 minute virtual tutored tasting
- a fun and informative way to discover a whole world of drinks – tasting is believing!
- a ‘one-on-one’ Zoom tasting with Alistair Morrell, AKA The Wine Inspector, CCO Cider Is Wine
‘Ice Ciders’ Tasting Pack
- Brännland Pernilla Perle 2017 75cl
- Once Upon A Tree The Wonder Ice cider 2015 37.5cl
- Brännland Claim Iscider 2017
- Blue Aurora Blueberry Ice Wine 37.5cl
full product details below – click on links to tasting notes and food pairing ideas, also on this page
Not All Ciders Are The Same!
For the most part, mass market ciders are manufactured, not made (and contain as little as 35% juice, all of which can be from concentrate).
100% apple and/or pear content ciders are inextricably linked to ‘terroir’, the term used by French winemakers for the unique characteristics linked to a particular vineyard or, in the case of cider, those of locality and the orchard, the apple and/or pear varieties used and the skill and passion of the cidermaker.
These are ciders made like wine, following the global standard for wine, namely that it should only contain the freshly pressed and fermented juice of the fruit without any concentrates. It’s what gives wine such broad appeal with every wine different.
Just like wines, these ciders come with taste profiles that run from dry to sweet… from bolder and earthier, more structured and tannic… to lighter and brisker, with delicate acidity and balance… from refreshingly lip-smackingly light and gold… to deep amber… from clear to cloudy… and from still to sparkling.
Then there are the aromas that resonate through: from clean, crisp fresh green apples… to those of apricots, walnuts, figs, browned butter, toffee and golden raisins.
Just like wines made from grapes!
Then there is the kaleidoscope of food matching opportunities, too. These full fruit content ciders are often more versatile than their grape wine cousins when it comes to matching dishes.
Alistair’s talk is a perfect introduction to the rewarding world of 100% fruit content ciders – and, as you will discover, a very different proposition from the mass market, 35% content product.
FAQs
Use the contact page if you have any questions to ask Alistair about booking.
Brännland Pernilla Perle 2017 75cl
This year’s Pernilla Perle differs from earlier years in that it is drier and has a higher profile of apple clarity with more outspoken tannins. 2017 was one of the hardest years for decades for apple growing in Sweden with heavy frost and hail in the spring. As a result, the 2017 harvest has given our cider a rather more austere, yet elegant and more complex style compared to previous vintages. The balance between sugar, alcohol and fruit has been joined by a length that holds great promise for future development and ageing.
Once Upon A Tree The Wonder Ice cider 2015 37.5cl
The juice of handpicked, late harvested Conference and Comice Pears is filtered, frozen and gently thawed to allow the sugars, colour and flavour to be extracted, leaving water behind as ice – a process called cryo-concentration – which concentrates the juice to a potential alcohol of 20–22%.
This juice is fermented using champagne yeast to 10 – 12%ABV over 3 to 4 months. At this stage the ferment is stopped and the resulting product is filtered sterile, bottled and further aged in bottle before release.
Brännland Claim Iscider 2017
Claim Iscider claims new territory for ice cider. An ice wine made from 100% Swedish apples, concentrated and elevated using the natural winter cold of northern Sweden. A true and original expression of the country, its apples and the family of ciders from which it was born.
White flowers on the nose and juicy, sweet, fresh acidity on the finish. Claim evokes lightness and light, spring and summer, in contrast to the flavours and scents of late autumn and winter apples associated with the company’s traditional ice cider.
Whilst holding true to the IsCider methodology, 100% fresh picked Swedish apples, this selection is a journey of discovery. IsCiders traditionally are rich and sweet, naturally produced, however Claim is a revelation. It reveals that delicacy and precision are things of beauty, which show themselves through the apple communicated by fermentation and the application of careful winemaking standards. Whilst this does not conform to the Quebec standards, it does write its own rule book, thus claiming new territory for IsCider.
Blue Aurora Blueberry Ice Wine
It takes 2 kilos of pure blueberries to make one 37.5cl bottle of Blue Aurora ice wine. Once picked, they are frozen and then pressed hard from frozen. The press programme takes between 2 ½ to 3 days, releasing more juice as the berries start to defrost. The juice is then fermented in a stainless steel tank for around 4 weeks. After fermentation the wine is racked, filtered and bottled. 100% not-from-concentrate blueberry juice, Blue Aurora Blueberry Ice Wine is gluten free and vegetarian and vegan friendly.
