Westons 1880 Anniversary Cider

Having just seen the Westons Cider website I think they deserve bonus marks - you can even adopt a tree! ...and go visit your tree at any time, Wow!

Anyway, back to the cider. According to the bottle, "'1880' is a premium, pale amber cider blending a number of selected ciders. Rich and fruity with a long lingering finish."

Henry Weston began his cider making business in 1880 you see, and this variety was launched in 2005 to mark the 125th anniversary.

For my money it certainly marks the occassion in fine style. A colourful label that not only includes a picture of the old man himself (I presume) but a selection of very rosy apples. The cider itself is more amber than pale and looks very inviting.

As for the flavour and texture, almost perfect. A delightfuly strong, fruity apple flavour assaults the taste buds while the lightest of fizz adds a refreshingness to the experience.

A deserved leader at this point.

Name: Westons 1880, (8.2%)
Label: 4/5
Looks: 5/5
Flavour: 5/5
Texture: 4/5
Total: 18/20

Here's the league table of full results so far.

My new camera

For the un-initiated, this is an Ilford Sportsman mark 2 which was first introduced in 1959. Despite the fact that it's approaching 50 years old, it has been very well looked after and, apart from the viewfinder which is not the clearest in the world, does not show it's age at all.

It is, however, completely manual in operation so lots of guessing/calculating shutter speeds and apertures will be taking place in the hope of getting some interesting shots.

Watch this space!

Thatchers Gold doesn't live up to its' name

"Gold is a crisp, refreshing cider with a smooth appley taste and bright sparkle", it says on the bottle.

Thatchers Gold, from Somerset, is labelled as a medium dry cider and, whilst it does everything it says on the bottle (see above) I think maybe it's just not my cup of tea (or cider).

In fact the gold colour is just about the best thing with the extremely fizzy and crisp nature of the juice inside making it taste more like a glass of apple Britvic 55 then a 5.3% glass of cider.

Name: Thatchers Gold, (5.3%)
Label: 1/5
Looks: 3/5
Flavour: 2/5
Texture: 1/5
Total: 7/20

Here's the league table of full results so far.

My photo in a magazine

I'd completely forgotten that i'd sent this photo off to Photography Monthly to be considered for their review section about 5 months ago.

I was therefore very surprised when a copy of the magazine arrived in the mail this week with a congratulatory letter informing me that it had been used in the November issue (on sale now from all good newsagents!).

Not that I particularly want to be known for flower photography, but they were quite complimentary about my pic. Take a look at the judgement and see what they said.

Current standings

For anyone following this exciting and informative survey you can now access the current standings, with links back to each individual review, from this league table page.

Cider number 3, Gaymers Original

The new brand was launched in February this year with the aim to promote a "a contemporary and confident cider brand with unisex appeal that has authenticity and taste appeal at its heart." according to Brand Republic.

The outcome of this work is a dull, boring label and, sadly, the cider within is not much better. It has the orange colour and fizzy texture of a glass of lucozade, although even lucozade has more flavour than this.

It is easily drinkable and I imagine would be very refreshing to drink chilled on a hot summer day but for now I'd be happier with a can of Strongbow from the local off-license.

Name: Gaymers Original, (4.5%)
Label: 2/5
Looks: 3/5
Flavour: 1/5
Texture: 2/5
Total: 8/20

#2: Yarlington Mill Cider

Second up is a variety called Yarlington Mill Cider from Gwatkin Cider, Herefordshire. They say "The Yarlington Mill apple is a favourite with traditional cider makers because of its outstanding taste. The juice is slow to ferment, which produces a rich, red, medium cider."

And quite frankly it tastes gorgeous, losing out minor marks with a slight fizz (cider should be completely fizz-less in my book) and a good, but not perfect, label.

Name: Yarlington Mill Cider, (7.5%)
Label: 4/5
Looks: 4/5
Flavour: 5/5
Texture: 4/5
Total: 17/20