MALVERN GOLD: A one off surprise

Cider, not the greatest tool in the photographers kit for steady hands

On a trip to Malvern before Christmas to see the reunion of Omnia Opera we came a cross a hidden gem, MALVERN GOLD. A beautiful little cider with a cheeky surprise.

This was our first visit to Malvern and the first time we had heard of this tipple, it maybe that everyone in Malvern knows about it, lucky gits. Apparently the Knights family have been brewing cider for three generations, but this particular blend is fairly new.

Made from apple juice, none of this apple concentrates nonsense; it has a refreshing smooth taste, fruity at first, then a slightly bitter after taste. It tickled me hearing a girl sat across from us telling people the after taste was because her bottle had not been washed out properly… philistine. This is not a mass produced chemical cocktail and those that are not used to real cider might find it a challenge, but after only a few slugs it quickly gained some serious respect from the Iguana posse.

Of course, taste is one thing, but to really gain respect a cider needs a bit of oomph. And this oil certainly had that, a kick way beyond what we expected from a 6%er. One pint left its mark, the second got us worrying about making the distance, the third loosened up the laughing muscles, the fourth removed any cares about doing embarrassing things, the fifth brought on a feeling of invincibility, the sixth helped us forget how to count and at some unknown point in the evening the bar ran out of Malvern Gold!

Few ciders leave such a mark with only one session. We have kept an eye out for it ever since, but it appears that this really is a local cider for local people. A trip back to Malvern is definitely on the cards.

NAME: Malvern Gold

STRENGTH: 6%

TASTE: bitter sweet

IGUANA RATING 10/10 (Tasty and wicked, treat with respect)

BREWED BY: Knights Cider, Malvern

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