Blackthorn: now sweet and weak pisswater

[Robdinho]

I'm also pretty sure there is some sort of law limiting the strength of beer/cider. Although that could also be urban myth.

I think this is true.

I was once at a beer festival and there was a cider stand. One of the ciders was advertised as having a strength of "8.5%+"

I asked him what the + meant and he said it was actually about 17% but if it's above 8.5% then he's not allowed to call it cider, it gets classified as wine & it moves into a higher tax bracket so he'd make less money!

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I had some of this on draft over the weekend at the Half Moon in Plumpton. It was delish - Addlestones premium cloudy cider.

When I'm near Yeovil I always make a point of dropping in here - to see the astonishingly pretty Sally if not just for the cider - Burrow Hill Cider Farm. They make fantastic cider - scrumpy and slightly sweetened for the grockles like me - along with some amazing apple brandy. Just off the A303 - worth a detour if you're down that way.

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

When i was a lad....the Bo'sun could sometimes be a bit busy so it would be a trip down the road to the Vanguard (was Greens a few years back, not sure what it's called now) where you could get a qtr bottle of Blackthorn for 60p.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Does anyone remember Bob Luck's Vintage Cider? The finest thing ever to come out of Kent, but, sadly, a thing of the past.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I was chatting to my brother in law at the weekend about cider we used to get at the Royal Oak in Poynings in the early 80s. We'd gather at the Sportsman at Westdean then maybe 20 or so of us would convoy out there to play bar billiards and drink the cheap cider. 50p/pint I recall - and not even pumped or poured, just scooped from the barrel.

I guess it was genuine local headache water and it always gave me trouble, but was very cheap and an abiding memory.

 

[Bozza]

Yay (for those of us out West anyway)

Gaymer bows to pressure and brings back Dry Blackthorn | News | Marketing Week

 

[The Truth]

If you want real proper cider then 'Old rosie' is now what your looking for.

 

[strings]

This is good news. The 'new' blackthorn was rubbish.

[edit] Rubbish, it is only available in the south west.

 

[Normal Rob]

good news - though i never realised that Gaymers had been takeb=n over by Magners. That's pissed me off big style. Blackthorn seems to be being killed around here - loads of pubs have taken it out and put Strongbow in instead as it's a cheaper wholeale price and, as we all know, pubs are struggling.

 

[Franks Wild Years]

Bozza, get yourself down to The Orchard Inn, Hanover Place,round the back of Spike Island/Bristol Marina.
CAMRA cider pub of the year 2009, run by Stuart a friend of mine, and a bloody good proper boozer it is.

 

[BensGrandad]

There was a farm on the road from Ashington to Adversane that used to sell cider in 2 or 4 pint containers like milk bottles not sure of the strength but I used to buy it on the way home from football and then resell it in the pub and it was very popular. Not sure if the farm is still there as I dont go down that road very often, It was more popular than the Addlestones that we sold. That is said to get stronger the longer it is connected and standing.

 

[withdeanwombat]

I live within yards of the old Taunton Cider factory near Taunton.Now I was never much a fan of Taunton cider,preferring Sheppy's locally,or whichever good cider was served round and about.But the Cider works is now a new millenium Toytown,with more and more " built in 4 days on the floodplain to satisfy government targets " houses,so on the whole I'd even take to drinking Taunton cider,as I'll admit to doing now and then when I wore a younger man's clothes.

 

[Normal Rob]

I live within yards of the old Taunton Cider factory near Taunton.Now I was never much a fan of Taunton cider,preferring Sheppy's locally,or whichever good cider was served round and about.But the Cider works is now a new millenium Toytown,with more and more " built in 4 days on the floodplain to satisfy government targets " houses,so on the whole I'd even take to drinking Taunton cider,as I'll admit to doing now and then when I wore a younger man's clothes.

erm - have you been at it this morning? I have no idea what you are talking about.

 

[Nottseagull]

Blackthorn: now sweet and weak pisswater. Yes, I know 'thorn is not 'proper cider' really .....

Isn't this inviting a writ, and (even worse) encouraging others to do so? I know it's your site, but if an organization which isn't a limited company is successfully sued, I believe its members are all equally liable. Although with no private address database, they may just choose you to pay up!

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Cider is very topical at the moment.

An interesting (I thought) article on the BBC Magazine section...

BBC News - Cider drinking: What's the a-peel?