British Cider Week 2024

My second British Cider Week 2024 (19-28 April) 'session' was at The Jolly Fisherman (facebook page), 3 East Beach Street, Hastings TN34 3AR (tel: 01424 428811). First session blog from Rye. Opening hours are Tuesday to Friday 4.00pm to 11.00pm; Saturday 2.00pm to 11.00pm; Sunday 2.00pm to 10.30pm; closed Mondays, although hours do vary sometimes for public holidays and for some events. I have written a blog about the history of this wee pub 6 years ago. They no longer serve food, other than bar snacks, nor do B&B anymore.

My first cider of the shift was from Kent, Turners Cider (website), and their 6.5% Dry Cider, 'made with 100% Kentish apples.' As you can see above, a very pale cider, with plenty of apple in the taste and nice and dry, I liked it! 👌

My second drink for Session 2 was actually a perry, [I'd already written about one of the ciders available here in Session 1 (blog)], and I didn't want to include any fizzy ciders, consequently, from Hecks Cider in Somerset (website), their 6.0% Perry, made with 100% perry pears grown in Somerset. A pale golden yellowish perry, with hints of berries and pear in the taste, a sour aroma, and a slightly tart finish, complex and very enjoyable indeed. 😁

My third drink of the session was from Newton Court in Herefordshire (website), their 6.6% Major, a single cider apple variety originating from further into the West Country. As you can tell from the photograph above, a very reddish cider, which comes from an apple variety that has a very red skin, unsurprisingly. Generally accepted as a 'bittersweet' fruit, this limited edition cider has a subtle apple aroma, a very fruity taste, and with a dry finish. I noted "very good!" 👍

My final cider of the session was from Luke's Cider in East London (website), their also 6.6% Queen Dab, made from a single apple variety Dabinett, a 50/50 blend of apples grown in Herefordshire and Somerset. A rusty reddish colour, sour apple aroma, a very dry and bitter cider, and pretty much like ciders I have drunk in the past when I lived in Devon (eg blog), authentic indeed!

Some very interesting and flavoursome ciders (and a perry) imbibed over the two sessions, probably the Newton Court Major shaded it as my favourite, cheers m'dears! 🍻