Vintage Reserve - Oak Matured Cider 7.4% | Sheppy's

A single year's harvest of bittersweet Somerset apples, fermented and then left in oak vats. Full-bodied, faintly nutty and properly strong at 7.4%.

The apple blend does the heavy lifting here - Chisel Jersey, Yarlington Mill, Stoke Red and Tremlett's Bitter, all grown on Sheppy's own land. Those are tannic, characterful cider apples rather than eating varieties, and the oak maturation rounds the edges off into something closer to a good wine than a pint of scrumpy.

It is Sheppy's best seller and David Sheppy's own favourite, which tells you most of what you need to know. Serve it cool rather than cold, in a glass rather than from the bottle.

• Made in Somerset by six generations of the Sheppy family
• Style: Medium, oak matured, single harvest
• ABV: 7.4%
• Apples: Chisel Jersey, Yarlington Mill, Stoke Red, Tremlett's Bitter
• Flavour: Full-bodied, bittersweet apple, oak, long finish
• Format: 500ml bottle

Allergens

Contains sulphites.

FAQs

What does vintage mean on a cider?
That the fruit all comes from one year's harvest rather than being blended across seasons. It makes each batch a little different, in the same way it does with wine.

What does the oak actually do?
It softens the tannins and adds a light woody, nutty note. Sheppy's mature it in oak vats rather than small barrels, so the effect is subtle rather than a big whack of vanilla.

Is 7.4% too strong for a session?
It is not a session cider. One 500ml bottle is nearly four units, so treat it as something to sit with rather than something to line up.

Sheppy's have been making cider at Three Bridges Farm in Somerset since 1816, and the family is now six generations deep. The orchards are their own, the fermentation is natural, and the range has stayed pointed at proper cider rather than fashion.