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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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

5.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 5 Overall 5.5
Draught at Quakerhouse, Darlington. Golden colour, no head and aroma of apple & mango. Taste is sweet, mango juicy, appley, sugary with alittle tartness. Medium bodied, low carbonation, sweet mango finish. Quite ok
Tried from Draft at Quakerhouse on 16 May 2026 at 17:14

7.6/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 7.5 Flavor 8.5 Texture 7 Overall 7.5
Is this out of production? I bought a bottle last month though I guess it could have just been remaining store stock. Anyway.

I’m a bit shocked at how much more I like this than the whisky cask version. I really like whisky. The oaky rum barrel flavors blend really well with the sweetness of the cider. Oak, rum, and apples are well balanced here and very tasty.
Tried from Bottle on 03 May 2026 at 05:04

6.4/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6.5 Flavor 6 Texture 7 Overall 6.5
Clear gold pour. Smells of apples and a touch of caramelly whisky. The flavor is quite sweet, moreso than I expected, especially given their description of it as dry. The apples are pleasant enough. The whisky is quite mild
Tried from Bottle on 02 May 2026 at 05:00

6.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6.5 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7
This cider has an pleasant enough apple aroma. Flavor is sweet, ripe apples but not overly sugary. Slight tartness. Easy drinking. Rather nice.
Tried from Bottle on 30 Apr 2026 at 06:05

4.4/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 3.5 Flavor 4.5 Texture 5 Overall 4
Bottle 50 cl. Pours a clear, deep red with a lacing, off-white head. Indistict or even bland aroma of berries/fruits with a hind of butter. Light body, sweet and lightly tart - mostly blackcurrant I guess. Pretty meh, and far from as good as the Strawberry version. 050226
Tried from Bottle on 05 Feb 2026 at 17:54

6.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 6.5 Texture 6 Overall 6.5
Bottle 50 cl. Pours a clear amber with a small, rough, off-white head. Distinct, authentic strawberry aroma. Medium body, sweet yet tart with distinct notes of overripe strawberries. The apple notes are pretty downplayed. Lovely. 040226
Tried from Bottle on 04 Feb 2026 at 15:07

7.1/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6.5 Flavor 8 Texture 7 Overall 7.5
Clear honey golden. Caramel, green apples, oak barrel, candy sugar, hints of scotch whisky. Fruity sweetness, mild dry sourness. Medium bodied, oily texture, soft carbonated, dry fruity finish with some scotch oak barrel notes. A quite heavy cider, tasty, balanced with some nice barrel aging notes.
Tried from Bottle on 10 Jan 2026 at 21:58

6.8/10
Tried from Cask on 19 Dec 2025 at 18:54

7.5/10
Tried from Bottle on 07 Dec 2025 at 22:03