Celebrating the small-batch process with Thatchers Cider launches
SOMERSET cider brand Thatchers has expanded on its small-batch Cider Barn range with the roll out of three new flavours.
This year’s launches in the Cider Barn introduces the new Thatchers Redwood, Thatchers Grenadier and Thatchers Tremletts.
Martin Thatcher, fourth-generation cider maker, said: “The Cider Barn range holds a special place in our hearts. We’ve been making cider at Myrtle farm for over 121 years, and innovation remains as important to us now as it was back in 1904. These small-batch ciders represent the passion of our expert cider makers.”
Crafted with passion and skill, the Cider Barn cider range is made using the finest apples from the year’s harvests and each new cider in the collection highlights some unique qualities, from single apple variety flavours to innovative techniques, unusual blends and the craft of Thatchers’ expert cider makers.
Thatchers Redwood offers a 6% ABV cider that has been blended from a select range of bittersweet and culinary apples including Katy, Harry Masters, Dabinett and Yarlington Mill. It is then matured in Thatchers’ 175-year-old oak vats and infused with oak chips. The process yields a golden cider that has a rich and intense flavour, with a subtle vanilla aroma.
Meanwhile, the Thatchers Grenadier comes in at a higher 7.6% ABV and is a single variety cider, made using the crisp, bright green Grenadier culinary apple. Grown in Thatchers’ orchard and picked within 24 hours for optimum flavour, the new Grenadier is a gentle, wine-like sparkling cider that reflects the best of Thatchers’ Somerset orchards.
Finally, Thatchers Tremletts has been crafted from the character of the Tremletts Bitter apple to deliver a distinctively rich and smooth flavour. Traditionally used to provide a slightly bitter taste in cider blends, including Thatchers Gold and Thatchers Rascal, this single variety cider showcases the complexity of the bittersweet apple. The 6% ABV, full-bodied cider provides a deep flavour, rounded off with a light sparkling finish.
Richard Johnson, head cider maker at Thatchers Cider, said: “It is such a joy and a privilege to have the freedom and space to craft new ciders. The Cider Barn range is Thatchers’ unique place to experiment with varieties, fermentation and blending to uncover new and exciting styles of cider.
“Each cider tells a story about the apple varieties, the orchards they come from and the craftsmanship behind every bottle. This year I’ve enjoyed working with single variety apples grown here on Myrtle Farm, rediscovering their unique characteristics, and using our 175-year-old oak vats to infuse depth and flavour.”
