Caledonian Cider Co

Cidery in Conon Bridge, Highland, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Established in 2014

Contact
Clover Cottage, Burnside Lane, Conon Bridge, IV7 8EX, Scotland
Description
We’re a small independent cidery founded in 2014 in Conon Bridge on the Black Isle just north of Inverness. This is our exploration of cider at its northern frontier. The aim for our cider is to reflect as far as possible our local Highland terroir.

We use every locally grown apple we can get our hands on whether they’re grown in gardens or orchards, sharp cookers, juicy eaters or bitter wee cider apples, we find a use for them all. Our cider apple orchards are among the most northerly in Europe and provide us the perfect starting point for all our blends.

We only ever ferment freshly pressed juice using wild yeast found naturally on the apples and in the cidery itself. We both ferment and mature in oak barrels at ambient temperature. This ensures a cold, slow fermentation which tracks the natural weather fluctuations as we head through the winter and into spring, it’s not uncommon during the depths of winter for the juice to freeze solid for a few days at a time. With Every vintage bringing it’s own unique character the barrels are blended by taste to produce our individual ciders or are set aside for one of our single cask bottlings.

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7.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

750ml bottle pour at Cider Salon 2021, Trinity Arts Centre, Bristol, 14Aug2021. Golden colour, no head and aroma of peaty barrel, apple, woody. Taste is apple, with peaty woody barrel notes, some drying acidity and woody tannin. Medium bodied, low carbonation, dry acidic & tannic finish. Nicely drinkable.

Tried from Bottle on 15 Aug 2021 at 18:24


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

330ml bottle - Pours an almost clear golden colour with a large fizzy white head that settled to a small white head. Aroma is fruity, green apples and hints of grass and wood. A crisp fruity taste, apple juice and apple peel flavours with a light bitterness and tannins in the finish.

Tried from Bottle on 13 Jun 2021 at 11:46


7.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

750ml bottle from Cat in the Glass. Yellow gold colour, afew short-lived bubbles on top and aroma of musty apple, fruity. Taste is slightly tart, fruity apple, fleshy, some funk, wood barrel hints and light citric acidity. Medium bodied, low carbonation, medium-dry finish. Nicely drinkable.

Tried from Bottle on 25 May 2021 at 21:00


6.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

750ml bottle from Cat in the Glass. Slightly hazy pale yellow gold colour, short-lived white bubbly head and aroma of apple, fruit, hint of honey, woody. Taste is sharp, tart, apple, fruity, fleshy, some skin, honey-like hint, with citric acidity. Medium bodied, light carbonation, dry tart acidic finish. Quite drinkable.

Tried from Bottle on 23 May 2021 at 18:49


8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle from Scrattings. It pours pale greenish gold with no head. The aroma is a lovely mélange of tangy apple and smoke, peat reek, light medicinal vibes, vanilla, apple pie & custard, apple skin, wood and just a touch barnyard. The taste is firmly dry, woody, earthy, light barnyard, slightly tart apples, apple skin, some juiciness, mellow peat smoke, slightly medicinal, oak, vinous, white grape and hay with a drying finish. Medium body and a vague hint of prickly carbonation. Not overdone in anyway. Lovely stuff.

Tried from Bottle on 16 Nov 2020 at 14:54


7.2
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle from Appellation Wines. Appearance - pale yellow, fizzy on opening. No head. Nose - dry crisp, green apple. Taste - more of the same. Palate - light bodied, very refreshing indeed. Overall - very nice.

Tried from Bottle on 08 Sep 2020 at 02:14


8.2
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle from Beer Zoo. Clear golden body with a thick white head that quickly fades. Lively carbonation. Aroma of grass and crisp apple. Flavour of juicy apple with a light bitterness. Thin body with a slick texture. Light fizz. Very clean and refreshing. This is excellent.

Tried from Bottle on 30 Aug 2020 at 21:58


7.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

750ml bottle. It pours clear orange - copper with a a rim of white bubbles. The aroma is sweet and juicy, tangy apple, lovely apple pie, tart, sweet wood, some funk and light barnyard. The taste is initially dry, then sweet and vibrant, juicy, ripe apple, apple pie, dried apple, orchard fruits, apricot comes through, firmly dry, wood, tannin, apple skin, earth, light funk and barnyard. Finish is dry and firm. Medium body and just a faint touch of carbonation. Well put together.

Tried from Bottle on 27 Aug 2020 at 17:08


8.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

750ml bottle from Scrattings. 2019 Vintage. Slightly hazy yellow gold colour, no head and aroma of peat, phenolic, islay whisky cask. Taste is tangy apple, with oak barrel, peaty, phenols, whisky, loamy and mellow tannic. Medium bodied, low carbonation, dry woody barrel finish. Very drinkable.

Tried from Bottle on 15 Aug 2020 at 19:26


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

750ml bottle from Beer Zoo. Hazy orange gold colour, no head and aroma of fruity apple, stone fruit, funk. Taste is sweet, tangy, apple, fleshy & fruity, a mucky hint, funky, leather, with peachy notes and dry tannins. Medium bodied, low carbonation, medium-sweet drying finish. Nicely drinkable.

Tried from Bottle on 08 Aug 2020 at 18:28