Little Pomona Kingston Black 2022
Little Pomona Kingston Black 2022 is a dry, sparkling gorgeous and complex cider made with 100% Kingston Black apples from Hill Farm near Hereford. I have had a fair few single variety Kinston Black’s but this is the first that has made me say “Oh. My. God.”
Labyrinth Daedalus at glance
- Region: Herefordshire, England
- Alcohol: 7.4%
- Style: sparkling, dry
- Vintage: 2022
- Apple varieties: 100% Kingston Black
Tasting Notes
- See: vivacious carbonation, transparent, medium amber colour
- Smell: strongly aromatic, almost medicinal herbs; sweet elements, mild notes cooked apples; mild earthy notes of mushroom as it gently warms up
- Taste: dry with medium acidity, low in tannins and full of medicinal notes; sweet floral notes (ie. honey blossom), zesty green apple and lemon, with some elements of unripe clementine.
Notes from the producer
From the perfect 2022 harvest, this is our first bottling of Kingston Black, farmed by our friend Robin at Hill Farm near Hereford.
Kingston Black with its natural balance of fruit, tanning, acid and sugars, is one of the few apples that can truly succeed as a single variety cider. To keep its purity we kept the cider out of barrels throughout the making process and, to give a fine sparkle, it was bottle conditioned.
Personal Notes on Little Pomona Kingston Black 2022
This 750ml bottle of Kingston Black cider from Little Pomona absolutely blew my socks off. The 2022 batch made with 100% Kingston Black apples is full of flavour, yet beautifully balanced. It’s vibrant and exciting, and leaves you wanting more–like the kind of first date when it feels like no time has passed at all but then you suddenly realise that it is 2am and you have been chatting not for minutes but for hours.
Kingston Black 2022 cider is a complex cider that start in your nose with multiple flavours; from aromatic herbal notes you can move to zesty yet sweet and earthy notes; in the mouth it’s an explosion of flavours – vibrant acidity of green apple and zesty lemon appear first, leaving space to medicinal notes, closing with a long aromatic finish.
With a lovely combination of pleasant tannins and balanced sweetness and acidity, this cider is great to drink on its own as well as during a meal.
Food pairing
I recommend pairing this wine with cheese low in salt–such as Edam, or a Cornish Warg–to bring out the sweet and fruity elements of Kingston Black.
