Thistly Cross Cider

Cidery in Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Established in 2008

Contact
The Works, Implement Rd, West Barns, Dunbar, EH42 1UN, Scotland
Description
Hello, we’re Thistly Cross, Scotland’s award winning farmhouse ciders, born out of a passion for making cider in the best possible way, combined with belief in the quality of Scottish produce, and asking ‘why not?’. Established as a collaboration between farmer, Ian Rennie, and artist-turned-cidermaker, Peter Stuart, in 2008, Thistly Cross has gained a reputation for making ciders that people rave about.

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6.9/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7
(Cask at Cock Tavern, Hackney, London, 17 July 2026) Pale golden colour with no head. Fruity nose with apples, oak wood and a touch of glue. Fruity taste with notes of apples, oak wood, orange, rum, hints of glue and a sweetish finish with a balanced acidity. More than medium body, quite sweet. Generous rum barrel character. Nice one.
Tried from Cask at Cock Tavern on 13 Aug 2026 at 19:01

6.8/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 6.5
500ml bottle from Dobbies - Clear yellow, small short lived fizzy head. Flowery apple and elderflower notes, tangy sugary sweetness, clean and refreshing, bit too fizzy.
Tried from Bottle from Dobbies Garden World, Aberdeen on 13 Aug 2026 at 18:57

7.6/10 Appearance 5 Aroma 7.5 Flavor 9 Texture 7 Overall 8
Tried on 25 Jul 2026 at 20:41

6.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6.5 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7
Bottle @ Hanging Bat, Edinburgh. Lear yellow with a small white head. Aroma is sweet, apple juice and whisky. Flavor is quite sweet. Sweet finish. 250726
Tried from Bottle at Hanging Bat Beer Cafe on 25 Jul 2026 at 20:30

6/10 Appearance 3 Aroma 7 Flavor 6.5 Texture 6 Overall 6
Tried on 21 Jul 2026 at 16:02

4.9/10 Appearance 4 Aroma 5 Flavor 5 Texture 5 Overall 5
Tap @ Uile-bheist taproom, Inverness. Clear pale yellow without head. Aroma is sweet, apple juice and sugary. Flavor is quite sweet. Sweet finish. 210726
Tried from Draft at Uilebheist Distillery & Brewery on 21 Jul 2026 at 16:01

5.5/10
Tried from Bottle on 17 Jul 2026 at 14:15

6.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 6.5
330ml bottle from Balmoral Castle Restaurant - Clear gold, no head. Crisp sweet apple concoction with a decent tartness on the finish. Pretty standard fare, but still not too bad.
Tried from Bottle on 30 Jun 2026 at 13:50

6.8/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 6.5 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 6.5
Draft at MSBH 2026. It pours clear yellow with a medium fluffy white head. The aroma is fresh, crisp, perfumed, juicy, crunchy, mango chunks, fruit cup and crunchy apple. The taste is crispy, dry, tart, crunchy, juicy, mango, peach, papaya, fruit cup, tangy, apple, honeyed and candy with a smooth finish.. medium body and moderate carbonation. Easy going and flavourful for the abv..
Tried from Draft on 11 Jun 2026 at 18:16

5.6/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 5.5 Flavor 6 Texture 5 Overall 5.5
440ml can from HOTM. Clear bright golden colour, white foam head and aroma of elderflower, apple, soapy. Taste is sweet, flowery, elderflower, appley, with some citric acidity. Light bodied, medium carbonation, sweet elderflower finish. Quite drinkable.
Tried from Can at House Of The Trembling Madness (Stonegate) on 17 May 2026 at 17:14