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

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
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
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
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
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
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


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

330ml bottle from Good Spirits, Glasgow. Orangey gold colour, white foam head that dissipates away and aroma of fruity apples. Taste is tangy apple, woody, funky, orchardy, with some tartness and citric notes. Medium bodied, low carbonation, dry slightly tart acidic finish. Nicely drinkable

Tried from Bottle on 08 Aug 2019 at 16:55


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

330ml bottle from Good Spirits, Glasgow. 5%. Deep amber gold colour, white foamy head that quickly dissipates away and aroma of mellow apple, woody, some caramel. Taste is fruity apple, juicy, with woody oak, vanilla, and tangy, some tannin. Medium bodied, spritzy carbonation, dry woody oaky tangy. Nicely drinkable.

Tried from Bottle on 06 Aug 2019 at 18:31


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

Bag in box at the jolly judge. Pours golden orange, nose is toffee, Apple, zesty, taste is juicy apple, zesty, toffee.

Tried on 19 May 2019 at 09:31