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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5.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Bottle from the producer’s own stand at the Good Food Show at Birmingham NEC. Golden toffee colour. Taste of toffee apple with the emphasis on the very sweet toffee. Some woody honeyed whisky notes in the background but the toffee is dominant, and as a result it’s far too sweet. Not for me, but nice to have a cider that’s a bit different.

Tried from Bottle on 30 Nov 2014 at 13:54


6.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

Bottle from the producer’s own stand at the Good Food Show at Birmingham NEC. Gold in hue. On the sweet side but crisp fresh apples just about manage to balance the sweetness. Quite light and refreshing in the mouth but I wonder if after a few of these (or if it got too warm) the sweetness wpuld become too much. Nevertheless not a bad little easy-drinker.

Tried from Bottle on 30 Nov 2014 at 13:53


6.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Bottle 500 ml at Casrle Rock Hostel, Edinburgh. Pours clear golden with bubbly head. Sweet and slightly acidic. Dry finish.

Tried from Bottle on 20 Nov 2014 at 13:09


6.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottle shared @ Van Moll Brewpub. Hazy pale golden color, virtually no head. Smell and taste sweetness, sweet overripe apple, pear, sugary. I don’t get the whisky cask. At least, I think I get a hint of hit but if it hadn’t been in the name I wouldn’t have guessed it.

Tried from Bottle on 19 Nov 2014 at 09:00


8.3
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9

Bottle sample @ Fiera della Birra, Cesena ’14. Dorée paille, sans col. Que dire, pomme et pomme sur un superbe profil de whisky et pointe de boisé-cask. Ressent le petit côté suret de la pomme qui est accompagné par un excellent whisky qui confère une pointe de tourbe. Cette dernière est modérée et balance bien le profil des pommes.

Tried from Bottle on 23 Oct 2014 at 13:27


8

Tried on 18 Oct 2014 at 04:14


6.5
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottle @ Southern, Edinburgh. Cloudy yellow colour, medium carbonation. Aroma of green apples and some pineapple. Medium sweet, light dry finish. Ok cider.

Tried from Bottle on 24 Sep 2014 at 05:08


6.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Cask @ Old Post Office, Halifax. Straw-blond colour with a bubbly head. Lots of apple taste that lingers with the strength not as evident as it might suggest. Has a potent nose too.

Tried from Cask on 21 Aug 2014 at 06:21


4.5
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 4

500ml bottle as Virgin Trains Tilting Cider 4.4%. Pours clear gold, overly sweet apple juice aroma, taste is sticky overripe apple juice, pear drops and schloer with a chemical aftertaste. Way too sweet to be enjoyable.

Tried from Bottle on 15 Aug 2014 at 13:31


8.2
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 10 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 9

Strong apple, walnut, nougat, and oat nose. That’s right, oat not oak. Clear yellow. Apple and walnut flavor. Soft, smooth mouthfeel, medium body. Wonderful richness and complexity, good balance. Drinks somewhat like applejack, but not boozy at all. Excellent.

Tried on 12 Aug 2014 at 17:25