Art of Darkness 2016
Little Pomona in Bromyard, Herefordshire, England 🏴
Cider Regular|
Score
7.29
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The second incarnation of the Art of Darkness blend has arrived and the 2016 is looking just as good as the last...
Its name derives from the long period of time it spent in the dark; namely 10 months in tank, 14 months in barrel and then 11 months in bottle before release.
2016 was an excellent vintage for Little Pomona, and the Art of Darkness is testament to that. It contains Ellis Bitter (95%); and a small percentage of Foxwhelp (5%), which were fermented in ex Speyside Whisky oak casks. Ellis Bitters is a beautiful variety of apple that takes a long time to release it’s charms, hence the long and slow ferment.
The resulting cider is light, pristine, delicate and pretty - even reminiscent of an orange wine.
James and Susanna, the makers, recommend drinking it cool, not too cold, to get the full depth of flavour, in a similar manner to letting a red wine breathe.
Its name derives from the long period of time it spent in the dark; namely 10 months in tank, 14 months in barrel and then 11 months in bottle before release.
2016 was an excellent vintage for Little Pomona, and the Art of Darkness is testament to that. It contains Ellis Bitter (95%); and a small percentage of Foxwhelp (5%), which were fermented in ex Speyside Whisky oak casks. Ellis Bitters is a beautiful variety of apple that takes a long time to release it’s charms, hence the long and slow ferment.
The resulting cider is light, pristine, delicate and pretty - even reminiscent of an orange wine.
James and Susanna, the makers, recommend drinking it cool, not too cold, to get the full depth of flavour, in a similar manner to letting a red wine breathe.
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8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
Bottle. A gift from the missus. Crystal clear dark yellow gold. No head. Nose has oak. Watered down whisky. Bitter apple skins. Slightly sweaty and leathery. Light tannins. Taste is dry and a little vinous. Some apple stalk bitterness. Smooth and lightly creamy on the palate. Little to no carbonation. Tannic bitterness to finish. Class.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Sep 2021
at 18:51
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Sample thanks to danlo. Deep golden appearance. Speyside coming through on the nose. Good whisky Influence coursing through, bolstered by some soft tannins and gentle apple murmurs. Lacks the bite of other editions in this series but still very decent.
Tried
on 28 Jul 2020
at 09:37
7.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
23/6/2020. Sample courtesy of danlo, cheers Ed! Pours clear golden with no head. Aroma is green apple, light wood and whisky. Crisp, tart and tannic. A little funky. Low carbonation. Good stuff.
Tried
on 23 Jun 2020
at 17:27
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
750ml bottle from Little Pomona. Pours a deep golden colour, with afew short-lived bubbles on top and nose of mellow apple, fleshy, woody, oak, tangy, light funky. The flavour is tangy apple, alittle core and skin, with woody, oak, hints of whisky & funk, white-wine notes and drying slightly spicy tannin. Light to medium bodied, low carbonation, dry tannic finish. Really well balanced, very drinkable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Jun 2020
at 20:02