Barbourne continue to use many of the methods and techniques that have been perfected by cider makers in Worcestershire for generations such as using wild yeasts in the fermentation process. They take pride in only using freshly pressed juice to make ciders and have never added artificial sweeteners to their award winning range of ciders and perries.
The orchards Barbourne use contain some of the older varieties of cider apples which make some really distinctive ciders. Early in the season they press Foxwhelp with Bulmers Norman, Redstreak and Major with Browns Apple and Harry Masters Jersey with Browns Apple. Later on other varieties ripen such as Lavignee, Brown Snout, White Norman and Kington Black. The Kingston Black is fermented on its own and bottle conditioned later as a single varietal cider. By mid November Barbourne are picking and pressing Dabinet, Yarlington Mill, Ashton Brown Jersey and finally Vilberie.
Grumbo (24737) reviewed 1066 (Medium) from Barbourne Cider 7 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6.5
30/11/2018. Bag in box at the Dove Winter Beer Festival, Ipswich. 6.0%. Pours hazy dull gold with almost no head. Aroma of slightly sour apples, light caramel and hint of spice. Moderate sweetness, very light bitters/sour. Medium body, oily and watery texture, soft to flat carbonation. Dry with light sweetness to finish.
danlo (13332) reviewed Strawberry Cider (Draught) from Barbourne Cider 7 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
500ml bottle from Cideronline. Salmon pink colour, short-lived fizzy pink foam head and strawberry jam aroma. Taste is sweet, strawberry, jammy, sugary with a hint of apple. Slightly syrupy mouthfeel, light bodied, spritzy carbonation, very sweet finish. OK.
Earlier Rating: 7/8/2017 Total Score: 3.1
BIAB at William Stead Darlington JDW 2017 cider fest. Pinkish red colour, no head and strawberry jam aroma. Taste is sweet, strawberry, jammy, with some fruity apple. Medium bodied, low carbonation, dry finish. Quite OK.
minutemat (16469) reviewed 1066 (Medium) from Barbourne Cider 7 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Box @ Post Office Vaults. Pours a misty yellow. Aroma is catty, sour. Light palate, moderate tannin presence, good pure apple fruit, some bitter skins. Not bad.
minutemat (16469) reviewed Briar Patch from Barbourne Cider 7 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Box @ Post Office Vaults. Pours a deep clear purple. Aroma presents very distant blackberry. Taste is light with more of a blackberry presence, not particularly sweet, with moderate apple fruit but generally quite light and a little thin. Generally ok.
minutemat (16469) reviewed Dry (Draught) from Barbourne Cider 7 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Box @ Post Office Vaults, Birmingham during the Brum Bimble August '18. Pours gold with a light mist. Wild apple fruit on the nose. Taste is light, thorny, fruity a little weedy, wild fruit, dry indeed.
Scopey (25220) reviewed Painted Lady (Draught) from Barbourne Cider 7 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Bag In Box at GBBF 2018. It pours lightly hazy green yellow with a small white head. The aroma is soft, earthy, musty, barnyard, pear skin, powdery and gooseberry. The taste is dry, bitter, tart, musty, earthy, musty, peat, grape skin, elderflower, gooseberry and earth with drying finish. Medium body and flat carbonation. Drinks crazy easy. Nice stuff.
minutemat (16469) reviewed Rapple from Barbourne Cider 7 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Polypin @ Shrewsbury Real Ale Festival, July 2018. Pours misty pink, very distant raspberry on the nose. Clean and flat on the palate, almost fruit-juice like. Soft raspberry ripple notes, some lactose perhaps, but no real apple presence. Nice light summery palate cleanser.
danlo (13332) reviewed Crimson King from Barbourne Cider 7 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Draught at Number Twenty2, Darlington. Reddish amber colour, no head and red fruity, funky aroma. Taste is tangy apple, sweetish, sourish, balsamic vinegar, woody oak, tart tannic. Medium bodied, low carbonation, dry tannic finish. Nicely drinkable.
SinH4 (15514) reviewed Crimson King from Barbourne Cider 8 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Tap. Hazy golden color with no head. Aroma is mineralic, spicy, cinnamon. Taste is tannic, vanilla, mineralic, a bit mealy, cinnamon again, super dry finish. Flat, probably sub-1 gravity.
SinH4 (15514) reviewed Golden Drop from Barbourne Cider 8 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
Tap. Hazy yellow color with no head. Aroma is custard, vanilla, funky, not so much apples. Taste is vanilla, dry apples, but not mealy. Near-flat, nearly lighter than water. Super fun to drink.