Hazy beige-yellow colour. Aroma is of apple skins, hint of brown sugar and sulphite. Soft and bubbly, with a rounded apple flavour, sweet edge and only a hint of alcohol coming in late, this is probably the most accessible but also the best-crafted Merridale’s product yet.

On tap at Swan’s. Golden colour with gentle carbonation. The aroma is appley but a little rotten. I get this in cider sometimes. I don’t think they use rotten apples so I’m curious what this is. The flavour is a combination of esters, higher alcohols and wood. Light, very juicy, sweet apple character. Soft, sugary, almost dessertlike finish. If you can get past the nose it’s a perfectly drinkable pub cider.

Deep gold colour. Still. Really spicy nose with loads of nutmeg and cinammon and sweet apple. Flat body...not just still but dead and oily with no vibrancy at all. Sweet, no trace of those lovely spices, just bland sweet apple must and a hint of tartness at the back. Jeez, that really fell apart.

Hazy, alarmingly luminous yellow colour. Fresh apple aroma with light nutmeg and clover or alfalfa honey. Sweet, sugary apple notes with a little spice. Refreshing, with very little evident alcohol and a much softer character than the Scrumpy.