At Cassels Cider we use many varieties of cider apples plus a percentage of cookers and eaters for our stock cider. This allows us to blend a consistent and enjoyable cider to a high standard. This year our stock cider includes Dabinett, Stoke Red, Michelin, Newton Wonder, Brown's Apple and Sparten apples.
Every year Cassels has produced single variety and named blends of cider from high quality apples. Single varieties give a unique and subtle flavour as distinctive as a single-malt whisky. This year we are fermenting three separate single varieties:
Dabinett (a meduim bitter-sweet that makes a full-bodied soft-tasting cider)
Yarlington Mill (a bitter-sweet which gives a light and fruity cider)
Herefordshire Chisel Jersey (a bitter-sweet but with an astringent, full-bodied taste)
Brown's Apple (a medium bitter-sweet, with a soft astringent flavour and tannin aftertaste)
Bulmers Norman (a medium bitter-sweet, with a harsh tannin after-taste)
We are fermenting each of these varieties in our normal production and also a limited quantity in whisky and rum barrels for a distinctive taste.
Additionally we may also blend two single varieties to make a named blend, this year we are again blending Dabinett with Stoke Red from local Cambridgeshire orchards to make a distinctive named blend. We propose to expand both single variety and named blends as we progress.