The Monnow Valley is littered with small farm full standard tree orchards. I harvest from five separate orchards (differing landowners). All of them have a good range of cider apples and perry pears and small amounts of dessert and culinary fruit too. 90% of the fruit I use comes from these orchards both for cider and perry, with the exception of dessert and culinary fruit I use in my apple juice products.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
75cl bottle. Relatively clear pale yellow with a faint mist. Aroma of musty sweet perry pear fruit. Light oily palate, moderately rich perry pear fruit, soft woody shades, gently sweet with a modest acidity. Pleasant perry.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
75cl bottle. Misty golden yellow appearance. Gentle sour aroma. Initial acidic impressions to taste, tangy on the palate with a sharp fruity profile. A bold acidity at play here, light stalky woody hints.. more fruity accents would've been welcome, but it's still a fine perry overall.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
75cl bottle. Clear copper appearance. Uncarbonated. Light aroma of caramel and brown sugar. Taste presents firm apple fruit, lightly caramelised fruit, brown sugar, woody hints, fairly light on the palate with a bitter close. Good natural fruit presence. Nice.
minutemat (16258) reviewed Perry - Oldfield SV from Monnow Valley Cider 5 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
75cl bottle. Misty gold appearance with sweet perry pear nose. Quite a characterful perry, sweet, with a silky tangy sweetness and fine acidity. Very good once again from Monnow Valley.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
75cl bottle. Golden orange appearance with a very lightly mist. Farmhouse orchard must and fruity apple on the nose. Lovely natural apple fruit on the palate, light brown sugar and caramel making themselves known, subtle tannin rounding things off. Very good medium farmhouse cider.
minutemat (16258) reviewed Do the Fandango from Monnow Valley Cider 5 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
75cl Bottle. Unclear hazed golden orange. A great blend of interesting lesser known cider apples, presenting a pleasant acidity and blooming tannic grip. Nicely fruity with a soft barky bitterness peering through. Drying close. Very nice.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
75cl bottle. Misty gold appearance. Sparkling. Farmhouse fruit on the nose. Floral, blossoming fruity character with distant woody moments, some apple stalk. Interesting characterful Frederick cider that just about works as a single varietal.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
75cl bottle. Unclear golden orange appearance. Lovely musty farmhouse fruity aroma. Taste presents an excellent Kingston Black representation, gently sweet with the lightest apple mush giving nice soft tones. Perfect drinkability. Great medium sweet farmhouse character.
Iznogud (14627) reviewed Magic Perry from Monnow Valley Cider 6 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
On tap at Robin Hood Beer Festival, 2019. Clear pale golden with no head. Pears, some sweetness, fruity tartness, juicy and flat. Light to medium bodied.
danlo (13133) reviewed Do the Fandango from Monnow Valley Cider 7 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Draught to 2018 Welsh Perry & Cider Festival, Caldicot Castle. Orangey gold colour, no head and aroma of fruity ripe apple with a mucky note. Taste is fleshy apple, mellow fruity, melon note, with some light tannins. Medium bodied, low carbonation, semi-dry fruity finish. Nicely drinkable.