What Makes Good Cider

Good cider doesn't need much explaining. But it does depend on good fruit, sensible timing and not interfering more than necessary.

It Starts with the Apples

Not all apples are the same. Traditional cider apples are grown for structure — tannin, sugar and acidity — rather than for the lunchbox.

At Bowhayes we grow three South West bittersweets: Dabinett for body and tannin, Browns for acidity and freshness, and Michelin for balance and reliability. Together they give cider character, rather than something that tastes vaguely of apples.

The Orchard Matters

Soil, climate and season all shape the fruit. A dry summer builds sugar; a wet one doesn't. There's only so much you can control — which, in the end, is the point.

Timing the Harvest

Cider apples aren't picked early. They come off the tree when they're ready — often later than you'd expect — and the call is judged by experience more than by any rule.

What Happens Next

The process is simple enough — harvest, press, ferment, wait. Fermentation takes its own time, and blending afterwards is where the balance of tannin, acidity and sweetness is settled. Season to season it varies, because the fruit does.

Why It Often Falls Short

Most cider is made for consistency: fewer tannins, more uniform flavour, less variation year to year. Easier to produce. Just less interesting to drink.

Good cider reflects where it comes from — the varieties, the season, and the decisions made along the way. It's not complicated. Just not rushed.

Cider Questions

The varieties themselves are set out in traditional cider apples, and the growing year in orchard seasons in Devon.