Cider Week: Cider # 8 Sir Perry Pear Cider

Sir Perry

Gaymer's Cider

Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom

Owned by C&C Group PLC

Adjunct Hard Pear Cider 6.0 % ABV Aluminium Can 500 ml.

$3.00 (Canadian) At LCBO 

Twitter: Not found

Last one of the week and sadly probably the worst. Doesn't taste much like anything but alcoholic water filled with citric acid. (Sad Monkey again) Anyway Tonight we get back on track and start up with some really great beers to make up for a few misses we had here on Cider week. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the change and I would like to do it again. I think I will do more research next time and I'll stock up some good ciders. Perry is an Old England term for a pear cider. 

Onto the (last... for now) Cider Week tasting.

Clear green gold with a white head that disperses quickly. Aroma is wet dog and earth. Very sweet, some pear. Citric and absorbic acid make it very tart and sour. Syrupy and sweet. Aeration gives ups pear and coffee. finish is mild spice.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 4/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Cider Style: 2/6 SO-SO

Re-Order:  2/6 SO-SO
Experience:  2/6 SO-SO

Final Thoughts:

Truly bad. this one is another in the "avoid" category.

Cheers

CJT


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Cider Week: Cider # 7 Blackthorn Cider

Blackthorn Cider

Gaymer Cider Company
Sommerset, England, United Kingdom
Owned by C&C Group PLC
Adjunct Hard Apple Cider 6.0 % ABV Aluminium Can 500 ml.
$3.15 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @BlackthornCider

Second to last cider, and apparently I didn't save the best for last. The two English ciders I have left are adjunct ciders and are not very good. (Sad Monkey). 

Anyway onto the tasting.

Light coppery gold in colour with a white head that disperses quickly Nose is wine like, very bready and yeasty, some apple. First sip is tart and sugary, some sulphur in the background. Citric,and malic acid are prominent. slightly chemical. Apple is almost background. Alcohol is quite evident. Aeration is malic acid... it is so strong it dries out my teeth and gums.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Cider Style: 2/6 SO-SO
Re-Order:  2/6 SO-SO
Experience:  2/6 SO-SO

Final Thoughts:
Overly tart, overly sweet, overly chemical. Slide this one over into the "avoid" category.

Cheers

CJT


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Cider Week: Cider # 3 Magners Irish Cider

Magners Irish Cider

HP Bulmers Cider
Clonmel, Tipperary, Republic of Ireland
Owned by C&C Group PLC
Adjunct Hard Apple Cider 5.0 % ABV Aluminium Can 500 ml.
$3.15 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @MagnersCanada

Magners is the name of the cider that is marketed outside of Ireland. Inside Ireland this same product is called Bulmers. Naming rights for the product only extended to the borders of the country so a new name had to be chosen. In 1935 the orchard when the company was started was owned by William Magner. He produced Magners cider for 2 years until he sold a half share of the companyy to English cider maker HP. Bulmer. Bulmer bought the remaining 50% after the war and changed the name to Bulmers. Bulmers was eventually sold to Guinness and then to its current owner C&C Group. Magners has been receiving a growing market share in Canada for the last 15 years and is still doing well they currently produce 4 flavours of cider: original, light, berry, and pear..

Enough history... onto the tasting.

Dark orange with hints of a peach colour as it pours. Head disperses quickly leaving no trace. Aroma is candy-like with hints of cinnamon and clove. There is a definite woodiness to it. First sip is tart and very effervescent. Bubbles across the tongue like champagne. Citric acid is very evident. very tart, tangy, slightly chemical. It does not taste like fresh apples, it tastes more like a juice made from concentrate or very processed. This product has has sugar, colour, sulfites, and citric acid added to it, so while we are still in the realm of cider... we are leaning more to the alcoholic beverage side. There is a light smokiness which I think has been added. The draught version of this product was supposed to be oak aged. I think that feeling has been added chemically in the canned version.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 2/6 SO-SO
Cider Style: 3/6 SO-SO
Re-Order:  2/6 SO-SO
Experience:  3/6 SO-SO

Final Thoughts:

Huh. Very disappointed. I remember when I lived in the Beach in Toronto, I used to enjoy a Magners on draught and one of the local bars called Murphy's Law. And I seem to remember this cider being much, much better than this. The colour is unnatural, and the taste is very chemical. I will have to try this on draught again to see if it has changed too. Sadly, chalk this one up to the "Avoid" side.

P.S. I got through the whole post with out making a "Tipperary" joke... uh... almost.

Cheers

CJT


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