Ross-on-Wye Brown Snout Oak Barrel 2020
The Ross-on-Wye Brown Snout Oak Barrel 2020 is a distinctive single-varietal cider crafted from the Herefordshire-grown Brown Snout apple, a bittersweet variety cherished for its unique character. After the original orchard was removed in 2017, the cidery sourced new fruit in 2020, handpicking one tonne to produce this cider.
Brown Snout Oak Barrel at glance
- Region: Herefordshire, England
- Alcohol: 7.4%
- Style: Lightly sparkling, dry
- Vintage: 2020
- Apple varieties: Brown Snout single variety
Cider flavour profile
- See: Rich golden to light amber, transparent, gentle carbonation
- Smell: earthly and a bit funky, but rich and juicy
- Taste: juicy but not sweet, medium acidity and soft tannins; soft texture but quite some mouthfeel; citrus primary notes that develop into very mild aromatic tropical fruits
Notes from the producers
Brown Snout is a beloved Herefordshire bittersweet variety, but the orchard we used to buy apples from was grubbed up in 2017. Since then we have searched for a new supply fruitlessly! Finally in 2020, thanks to a tip-off from Pat of Jolter Press, eight of us spent a drizzly October day crawling around handpicking one tonne of fruit. A juicy, soft texture with aromatic hints of lemon peel and citrus jelly are aided by oak barrel maturation, giving this cider an extra dimension of tropical jam.
Tasting Notes on Ross-on-Wye Brown Snout Oak Barrel 2020
This is the first single variety Brown Snout I taste, and what a wonderful discovery. Having tasted other single varieties – and those being mostly high in tannins and with considerable structure-I was caught off guard by this mellow Brown Snout from Ross-on-Wye.
To the nose it strikes me as an eclectic blend of wine gums and countryside farmland, with earthy and mildly funky notes, but then in the mouth it is compellingly juicy and deliciously drinkable. With a relatively low acidity, very gentle tannins and very juicy character, to me this cider sings of a relaxing midweek evening after a long day at work (School-night drinking, the shame!), with oak barrel aging adding even greater depth and rounding the juicy notes into an almost jam-like flavour.
Food pairing
With such a gentle personality, Brown Snout would compliment roast chicken with herbs–particularly classics such as rosemary, thyme or sage. As a vegetarian option, a mushroom risotto would pair well as the cider’s earthy tones would enhance the mushroom’s umami flavour.
