- SOMERSET -

'Our farm in Somerset sits among 180 acres of cider apple orchards at the base of Burrow Hill. The farm has been pressing cider for over 200 years. In the autumn over forty varieties of vintage cider apples such as Dabinett, Kingston Black, Stoke Red, Yarlington Mill and Harry Masters are harvested. By the spring our pure juice traditional cider is ready to drink.'

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'For the past thirty years we have been reviving the ancient art of Somerset Cider Brandy production.

Half of our cider is set aside for distilling in Josephine and Fifi, our copper stills. The resulting clear spirit, known as Eau de Vie or ‘water of life’ is trickled into small oak casks to mature into brandy. We bottle Somerset Cider Brandy at 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 years. Each bottle can be traced back to its source orchard.It is the apples, the soil and the climate of Somerset which give our Cider Brandy its unique character but the barrels also play a hugely important role in the ageing process. These are carefully selected for the qualities and flavours they impart. In the barrels the spirit mellows and grows richer. While taking on the complex flavours of the oak it loses a small amount of the more volatile alcohol through the wood – ‘the angels’ share’.'

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'At Burrow hill we also make two single variety bottle fermented ciders. This cider undergoes a secondary fermentation within the bottle in order to gain tiny bubbles. It is then matured for two years in our cellars before the yeast is removed and it is ready to drink. The Stoke Red Bottle Fermented won overall champion at the Somerset Cider Championships at the Mid-Somerset Agricultural Show in 2017.'

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'Finally we make a very unusual cider by freezing a secret blend of apple juice and removing the ice. The remaining naturally concentrated juice is then fermented into Ice Cider in small oak barrels. This makes it 11.5% abv and gives it a unique flavour that combines the bitter-sweet and sharp qualities found in a traditional vintage apple.'