Somerset Cider Brandy 10yo

Somerset Cider Brandy 10yo

Brandy: Cider Brandy

From: Somerset

Style: Single distillery 

House: Somerset Cider Brandy

Colour: Dark gold

ABV: 42%

N: Apples, vanilla fudge, black tea, cinnamon, caramel. 

M: Heavy body, slippery, warm, tingly. 

T: Bitter sweet. Apples, vanilla fudge, walnuts, fresh baked bread, shortcrust pastry, hints of cinnamon. 

F: medium. Black tea, vanilla fudge, walnuts, cinnamon. 

Comments:

Brandy ages differently, I think, from whisky, and different fruit spirits age differently from each other too. Whisky develops complexity, gains sweet flavours from the wood, whilst brandy, already sweet to begin with, gains accents, by which I mean certain flavours are emphasised. Does the wood contribute flavour notes? Probably, but I find that I can’t discern them as easily in brandy as I can in whisky. 

Anyway, this is luscious and bittersweet stuff, very appley, but also redolent with walnuts and tea. It’s perhaps the brandy version of a sherried whisky. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Somerset 5yo Cider Brandy

Somerset 5yo Cider Brandy

Brandy: Cider brandy
From: Somerset
Style: Single distillery
House: Somerset Cider Brandy
Colour: Polished pine
ABV 42%

N: vanilla, honey, fresh cut grass, stewed apples, caramel.

M: Light body, thickens, slippery, warm

T: bitter sour. Fresh cut grass, fresh baked bread, honey, prunes, cinnamon.

F: Short. Prunes, cinnamon, fresh baked bread, vanilla.

Comments:

Turns out that England has apple based spirits too! I love Calvados, the intense appley base flavour, with other fruit and sugary notes layered on top. The base apples contribute a lot to the character of the spirit. Let's see if the same holds true for its English cousin - cider brandy. This spirit is from Somerset, and it looks like it might be the only such producer in the county.

It's different from Calvados, much more herbal and spicy, much less caramel and butterscotch. It's fresher, not as sweet, and is well-aged. I enjoyed this very much, and I look forward to trying the older expressions. I believe there's a 10 year old version, which I'm now going to seek out.

Verdict:

I like this