Low/no alcohol cider taste testing

[vivdunstan]

Should update folks on my low/no alcohol cider taste testing. Had fun. Here is my ranking from favourite to least favourite. I was the main one drinking, but Martin also tried a little, and generally shared my views. I like a strong traditional alcoholic cider taste with a whoomph. Blame my Somerset husband 😜 I also prefer a dry tasting cider to anything sweeter.

Best: Sheppy's low alcohol - like proper cider, with whoomph! Not too sweet. So very good compared to all the others.
Next: Sainsbury's low alcohol - a bit weak in taste, but very drinkable, and not too sweet.
Next: Inch's no alcohol - strange smell (too apple-y for me - I'm not looking for apple juice elements!) but tastes good.
Next: Weston's Stowford Mill low alcohol - has whoomph but far too sweet for me, so not a hit.
Worst (by quite a long way): Thatcher's no alcohol - awful smell and taste, and reminds me of Magners, in a very bad way. We usually love Thatchers cider, but this was not at all for us.

The switch from normal alcoholic cider to low or no alcohol cider (but still with a proper British cider-y whoomph) has helped my alcohol-triggered stomach problems immensely. So pleased with that. I am still drinking a 330ml can of Birra Moretti with our mid-week Italian takeaway meal. Getting away with that. But two cans wouldn't work. I've also stopped drinking wine, which triggers me 50% of the time - not worth it! But I am still enjoying gin and tonic, and small occasional servings of ice cider from Somerset!

Comments

[a_cubed]

Is ice cider like ice wine? Allow the fruit to freeze on the vine (tree) then make it from them.

[vivdunstan]

Not quite. Here's the description from the Somerset Cider Brandy Company:

"Ice Cider is made by freezing the apple juice and removing the ice. The remaining naturally concentrated juice is then fermented into Ice Cider. It takes over 200 apples to make just one bottle of Ice Cider. Bursting with aromas of baked apple and honey. Drink as a dessert wine. Great over ice."

I could glug it down ;) It is very very alcoholic. Martin serves much smaller portions than me. I am trying to be good! We probably need to order in another bottle ...

[vivdunstan]

I always think of Terry Pratchett's Scumble when I think of ice cider - https://wiki.lspace.org/Scumble

It's somewhat similar to North America's Applejack, though made slightly differently (swapped around!).

[a_cubed]

Yes, I thought of applejack when you described it first. Reverse order applejack, though. You could probably make a very alcoholic non-distilled version by applejacking ice cider.