APPLEJACK-OFF 2014: Aspall Cider

APPLEJACK-OFF 2014 
Supplemental Cider:
ASPALL ENGLISH DRY DRAFT CIDER

(Our Final Cider Entry)

The Supplemental Cider content of our APPLEJACK-OFF 2014  series concludes with a look at another cider from England (it's that country where that thing happened that time).  While recently poking around a local purveyor of fine beverages, we came across Aspall Cider.  Made in Suffolk England, Aspall has apparently been produced in one form or another since 1728.  It was priced at just about $7.00 for this half-liter here in New York.  This is annoying, because apparently in England on Aspall's own website, their stuff goes for GBP £1.69 which would come out to USD $2.85.  So  ...fuck.  But we bought it anyway, and we’re glad we did. 





Readers from the UK might know this brand rather well, and some will notice that this label is (most likely) the export version using the “CIDER” rather than “CYDER” spelling, which seems to be used in Aspall’s domestic market.  Other than that, and the fact that this is 6.8% ABV but in England it's 7% ABV (we don't know why...) we’re assuming that we’re getting more or less the same thing that would roll off the lines in England. 





Since this is just supplemental content for our APPLEJACK-OFF 2014, we won’t be going into any insane detail, but our final thoughts on this are good. 





Yep, Aspall is dry with a clean finish and has those fine tiny bubbles.  This cider is perfect for anyone who is put off by the candy-sweet tastes of things like Woodchuck or even the less-sweet but still not very dry Original Sin, which we must admit we aren't crazy about (the dryer the better as far as we care).  So like a dry Prosecco, we really like Aspall English Dry Draft Cider and think it might even be something that would unseat the Miller-Coors owned Crispin English cider from our favorites list.  Apparently Aspall has done pretty well with the proper cider authorities as well.

We'll see you soon when we take an in-depth look into our final Applejack in the Pinky Mixology Applejack-Off 2014.