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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.
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.
8.2/10
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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
7.5/10
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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
8.1/10
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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
8/10
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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
7.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
20/6/2020. Sample courtesy of danlo, cheers Ed! Pours slightly hazy golden with a small bubbly white head. Aroma of rich fleshy apples, apple pie, touch of funky mucky barnyard. Medium pastry sweetness, light tartness. Moderate body, oily texture, average carbonation. Liked this.
Tried
on 20 Jun 2020
at 18:09
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
750ml bottle from Caledonian Cider. Orange gold colour, short-lived bubbly white foam head and aroma of earth, orchardy, alittle mucky funk. Taste is sweetish, juicy apple, fruity, orchardy, woody, funk, with a herby liquorice-like note, and mellow soft tannins. Medium bodied, low carbonation, medium-dry finish. Nicely drinkable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Jun 2020
at 18:24
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
330ml bottle direct from Caledonian Cider. Sparkling, hazy gold colour, foamy white head that quickly dissipates to a thin rim and aroma of juicy apple, fruity, whiskey. Taste is fruity, apple, wood barrel, oak, vanilla, some orchardy funk and with soft tannins. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, dry mellow finish. Nicely drinkable
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 May 2020
at 19:27
7.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
26/8/2019. Sample courtesy of danlo, cheers Ed! Pours almost clear golden with a bubbly white head. Aroma of green apples, vanilla, whiskey, wood, citrus and tannins. Medium sweetness and light tartness. Medium body, slight oily and watery texture, soft carbonation. Very dry mouthfeel. Woody, light tart and sweet finish. Very nice.
Tried
on 26 Aug 2019
at 17:40
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
750ml bottle from Scrattings. Golden colour, white foam head that dissipates away to a thin rim and aroma of bourbon cask, vanilla, woody oak, apple. Taste is fruity apple, green apple with wood, bourbon, oak barrel, vanilla notes and some drying tannin. Medium bodied, low carbonation, dry woody oaky finish. Nicely drinkable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Aug 2019
at 20:26
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
330ml bottle from Good Spirits, Glasgow. Golden colour, short-lived bubbly white foam head and aroma of fruity apple. Taste is fleshy, fruity apple, baked apple with caramel hints. Medium bodied, low carbonation, semi-dry tangy finish. Quite drinkable
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Aug 2019
at 18:24