We have made cider together with Lucien since 2018 at Wildflower but this ongoing “Roadcider” project is very much his creative direction and drive. In Lucien’s own words, this cider has been a long time coming and is our first release to ever use apples deliberately planted and grown in an orchard. And what rate and beatiful apples they are and what an amazing orchard they come from.
This year we worked with later-harvest varieties, primarily Kingston Black, Dabinett, Somerset Redstreak and Bramley, with a handful of others rounding out the blend. Dabinetts are known for adding some spicy, smoky character as well as helping bump up the ABV. Kingston Black, sometimes referred to as the perfect cider apple because of it’s rich flavour and balance of acid, sugar and tannin, provides depth. Somerset Redstreaks have a beautiful balance of acid and tannin and had the most heady, floral smell that made me think a tree nearby must have been flowering out of season. Working with these beautiful varieties is new for us, so working out exactly what blend to pick and which apples lend which characteristics to a finished cider will be an ongoing process.
