not far from the tree

Well, following on from the recent holiday, why not sample some national cider too? Cider was a much more popular drink than beer until the 19th century, especially in the north of the country, where this can comes from. It isn’t hard to find Spanish cider, but this one has a very crafty look to it, and their stated ethos goes along with that. The cidery is named after a 6th century Breton bishop (tradition) and they limit their ingredients to Galician apples (local focus), but they also participate in scientific study to improve apple cultivation and use in an effort to be more sustainable (new ideas). There are several varieties, but I picked up the most standard as a start. Dry Cider might be the most identifiable one as a Spanish cider, but I guess I’ll have to try the others at some point to compare.

It comes out a goldish pink, which looks a lot like some apple skins you see in the store. It’s wildly bubbly, and unlike Magnars a little cap of foam stubbornly sits on top for a couple of minutes. There’s a touch of apple aroma and also a whiff of sulphur, reminding me of not a few fruit beers and seltzers. It definitely has an apple flavor, but it’s also raw and rooty, with a very natural touch, not overly sweet at all. It has a very champagne touch, living up to its promise of dryness. It isn’t as sharp or throat-grabbing as some other, more “traditional” Spanish ciders, but it isn’t syrupy British style either. It’s a very nice balance of fruit flavor with sweet and bitter notes. If the Dry Cider is as smooth as this, I wonder what the others will be like?