Stowford Press

Stowford Press by Westons Cider is being evaluated as a English Cider, style C1B per the 2015 BJCP Cider guidelines, with the caveat that it doesn’t cleanly fit in the prescribed category. This is sparkling and medium-dry, and lower in alcohol than typical.

On pouring, it pours a sparkling and brilliantly clear pale gold with loads of rising bubbles. The nose has a hit of sulfur initially that dissipates, then a perception of sparkling wine and fresh cut apple takes over. There is a prominent acidic sense from the nose and floral apples. There’s a slight raw unfermented note and the sulfur keeps popping back up in the nose. On tasting, I’m not sure I’d use the word dry to describe this. Perhaps the gravity is low, but there’s a strong, sweet, unfermented impression here that isn’t saved by the acidity or carbonation. The sweetness actually gets in the way here of the fermented apple character and adversely impacts the drinkability, pushing it into a cloying area. I can appreciate the attempt, but the sweetness really distracts from the wine-like cider character. A drier cider would really bring out those complexities.