This is the final cider that I sampled at UKGE:
This one tastes strong, probably because it is strong (7.4%). The strong taste gives it a very nice festival feel, which was perfect for the last night of UKGE!
Category: Drinking
2018 Ciders #31: Thatchers Katy
This is another cider I had while gaming at UKGE last weekend.
I first had Thatchers Katy about a year ago, when Geth and I went round for dinner with my old next-door neighbours at my parents’ place. They had one in because their daughter is called Katy. I can’t remember how much of a cider drinker Katy is (she tends to be on spirits whenever I see her) but it must be pretty cool to have a cider with the same name as you.
It’s a nice apple-y cider, a bit tastier than regular Thatchers. Good stuff.
2018 Ciders #30: M&S Berry Cider
I had this one as a ‘swap’ or something over UKGE weekend. I forget exactly – I was busy gaming at the time!
As you might expect from the packaging, it’s very fruity and sweet. Probably more of an autumn cider, but it was perfectly refreshing even in June. There are nicer berry ciders out there, but I’d be happy to pick this up again if I were in M&S.
2018 Ciders #29: Stella Cidre
I used to drink a lot of Stella Cidre – when Geth and I lived in Southampton, our local Sainsbury’s often had it on offer. To be honest, Sainsbury’s probably do still often put it on offer, but as my drinking has massively reduced since I joined Slimming World, it’s been a very long time since the days when I would buy a whole box of cider to drink over the course of a weekend. As such, this cider is now a very occasional treat.
It’s got a lovely sweet taste, just the right level for an apple cider. It’s a real favourite, and now I’ve been reminded of it, I may start drinking it more often again. Not a whole box at once though! Those days are behind me.
2018 Ciders #28: Angry Orchard
I had this delicious pint in the pub last night to celebrate hitting my Slimming World target. Yes, I hit target! It required taking my jewellery off, but I did it, and now I am thoroughly enjoying the weekend!
For some reason, I keep misremembering the name of this cider as ‘Happy Orchard’. Bit of a leap to make! Maybe it’s just because I was so happy about hitting my Slimming World target (I may be mentioning that a few more thousand times this week).
It doesn’t taste angry at all. It’s a lovely strong, sweet cider, exactly the kind of celebratory taste I needed. Will be looking out for this one again!
2018 Ciders #27: Thatchers Stan’s Big Apple
Another rough cider from the Thatchers Stan line.
It’s a bit drier than the Cheddar Valley from the same line that I had a few weeks ago, but it’s still a very nice rough that tastes of summer. Highly appropriate for a warm May day!
2018 Ciders #25: Old Mout Passionfruit and Apple
This one was a bit of an accidental cider. Yes, I know. My life’s just like that.
Basically, during the intermission at the Kim Wilde gig on Monday, Geth went to the bar to get us another round. He asked for an Old Mout Kiwi and Lime (already logged), which is the variety I usually drink, but when he brought it back to me in the venue, I discovered that it was instead an Old Mout Passionfruit and Apple:
Oh well, means another cider to log!
Passionfruit and Apple is similar to Kiwi and Lime in that it’s just the right sweetness for a fruit cider in my book – not cloying like Kopparberg or Rekorderlig, but sweet enough that I can down it if I have to. The flavours are lovely together, and I’d drink this variety a lot more often if I didn’t like Kiwi and Lime so much!
2018 Ciders #24: Thistly Cross Real Elderflower
Another day, another variety of Thistly Cross. This is one that my parents brought down last weekend.
Real Elderflower is very tasty – the best elderflower cider I’ve tried – and actually feels quite light, so it’s a nice one for the summer. It’s not too sweet either, so I’m not at risk of drinking it like juice.
Only one more Thistly Cross variety to log. I wonder when that will show up?
2018 Ciders #23: Thistly Cross Original
My parents brought some more Thistly Cross down for me last weekend, meaning I have some new flavours to log.
Thistly Cross Original is the earliest (obviously) and strongest of the Thistly Cross varieties. I first discovered it when it was the only variety of Thistly Cross you could get – back when Geth and I still lived in Edinburgh, there was a wee shop across the street from us called Nina’s that always sold interesting beer and cider. Geth would always pick up Polish beer – Tyskie and Zywiec – and I would grab the Thistly Cross, which they usually had in stock. It’s 6.2% vol, so it does knock you out a bit if you have too many at once, but it’s very tasty – the taste is similar to the Traditional variety, but more strongly alcoholic, as you might expect.
I don’t often drink this one nowadays – I usually have the lighter varieties – but it is nice occasionally.