It has been a while since my last cider review. Serendipitously one of my colleagues bought in a bottle of Rogers’ Hedgelayer Cyder for me to sample this week. It is seldom the case that I am known to turn down an opportunity to drink some cider, let this be n excepption to that rule.

The producers of Rogers’ Hedgelayer are rather elusive online. Though a facebook page and twitter account exist, their UK cider page says that they prefer to be contacted by phone. And their website is just a 123reg holding page at the time of writing.

Nevertheless they have packaged their cider pretty nicely. It comes in a brown 500ml bottle with a orangey-yellow label and even a matching orange lid. The blurb on the bottle says that after the 6 month maturation period they blend some new apple juice in with the cider to bring it up to date. Presumably this also has the effect of diluting it a little too, though Rogers’ Hedgelayer still comes out at a resepctable 6% ABV according to the label.

Rogers’ is a Dorset cider. Perhaps that is why the label calls it a cyder. I never know the rules about when to use an i and when a y. It is a flat cider, very farmhousey. It is dry and a little smoky, packed with cheeky tannins and with a little hint of sweetness. Probably from the late added apple juice.

I would compare this favouraly to some of the dry Somerset ciders, though it is probably a little lighter bodied and perhaps not as complex. It is a cracking cider, and I have certainy enjoyed guzzling a bottle of it. If only I could buy it online.

2014-05-11 by Charlie Harvey