St Paul’s Cidery, Bristol
I have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised that my Twitter feed isn’t full of people peddling pumpkin flavoured alcopops and passing them off as cider for Halloween. Being Halloween it seems like a good opportunity to try another cider from St Paul’s in Bristol, complete with excellent artwork on the bottle which seems fitting for today’s festivities.
Sacrifice is described as “only 8%”, and “strong dry cider” is the only hint of any tasting notes on the bottle (the back contains, perhaps uniquely, a short biblical quote concerning Abraham sacrificing a lamb.) The nose is burnt apple, with hints of tartness and a touch of spirit – perhaps unsurprisingly when it’s so strong.
The taste is definitely dry although I was expecting something a bit more full bodied, it almost feels a bit thin and watery until you get to the finish. There are some lighter notes that are just the right side of sour and some bitter toffee apple notes. There is a warming, spirit quality, particularly in the long finish, which reminds me a lot of a cider that has spent some time in whisky casks, but there is no mention on that on the label, and there’s a surprising lack of tannins.
This isn’t a refreshing cider to gulp down and quench your thirst – and at 8% ABV you wouldn’t want it to be. It’s a serious cider, but it’s not quite hitting the spot for me, it’s lacking a bit of depth.
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