Blackthorn Cider (6.0% Export Version)
Canned, bottled & draught.
Bright amber colour; aromas of apple and pear; off-dry palate with crisp apple flavours.
Note: This is the export only version, which nowadays is the only one available at 6.0% (possibly lower on draught). Originally it was sold as Dry Blackthorn. Until 2009 it was 6.0% in can/bottle and 5.0% on draught. In the UK was then "reformulated" with a sweeter taste at a reduced abv of 4.7%. At some point prior to this the word "Dry" had been dropped from the name and renamed simply Blackthorn. Following a storm of protest in the area where it is made Dry Blackthorn was reinstated in it’s original form at 5.0% in 2010 but only available in the English West Country.
If you found this in North America it’s more than likely this one (but pay careful attention to the abv). If you found it in the UK it’s one of the others. The version available in other export markets is believed to be based on the 4.7% UK variant. Again, check ABV.
Bright amber colour; aromas of apple and pear; off-dry palate with crisp apple flavours.
Note: This is the export only version, which nowadays is the only one available at 6.0% (possibly lower on draught). Originally it was sold as Dry Blackthorn. Until 2009 it was 6.0% in can/bottle and 5.0% on draught. In the UK was then "reformulated" with a sweeter taste at a reduced abv of 4.7%. At some point prior to this the word "Dry" had been dropped from the name and renamed simply Blackthorn. Following a storm of protest in the area where it is made Dry Blackthorn was reinstated in it’s original form at 5.0% in 2010 but only available in the English West Country.
If you found this in North America it’s more than likely this one (but pay careful attention to the abv). If you found it in the UK it’s one of the others. The version available in other export markets is believed to be based on the 4.7% UK variant. Again, check ABV.
2.4
274 reviews
Shepton Mallet, England
Community reviews
Sweet, artificial, nothing pure or natural. I did not even finish the can. this is not a cider worth trying.
Draft sample. Clear lite gold with no head. Crisp and dry, inoffensive but utterly forgettable.
16oz can poured into a shaker. Pours a clear dark gold with no head. Aroma of crisp red apples. Taste is light tart, very dry. Pretty good.
Bottle from old backlog notes 07. Pours a clear pale yellow color with a thin white film. The aroma and flavor have tart and sweet apples, skins, some earthy notes. It is what it is.
Not a big fan of mass produced apple juice style cider but I’m not really drinking this am I? No sir. This cider is for mussels bacon & cider recipie. So a few sips of this -- taste of dull apples, soda water & tin -- make this rating as I cook my feast. Drink local cider, y’all.
Gold pour with creamy white head. Aroma is straight up sour apple to me. Light sweet start with some sour funk. A semi sweet finish. Medium/light bodied. ok cider
Draught at The Independent, Clearwater, on January 19, 2014.
Clear golden color, white head. Dry, apple taste. Apple aftertaste. Medium mouthfeel, very low bitterness, though a bit tart. Mainly apple scent.
pours clear golden orange with some sticky legs, some bubbles surfacing. apple pie, quite spicy in fact, then again faint apples, apple juice from concentrate, chalk, lightly peppery, clean yeast, hint of tartness - lemon, metal. low carbonation, light body - a tad watery, relatively dry and clean finish. weak cider.
A rather ghastly canned cider that I purchased in California, apparently a new item in the most disturbing, pirate-and-parrot themed Trader Joe’s. It is a near-potable obscenity that makes me cringe, and pathetically sob in longing for the unspeakable ciders of my childhood and wasted youth in Switzerland. The only reason I gave it a three on appearance is because I am drinking it (yes, as I type) straight out of a can that has been micturated on by many a rat and oyster on its long journey from Bristol, in the glorious Shire of Gloucester. Interestingly, this locale not only provided a lovely setting for the beloved Bard, but seemingly also makes for an environment conducive to making extremely lousy apple cider. And from the Encyclopedia Galactica: Bristol
City in western England, Middle English Bridgestow, from Old English Brycgstow, literally "place of shit-cider" (see "cyder" (n.) + crappe). A local peculiarity of pronunciation adds -sh to words ending in -s. Drink that gave Perseus the squirts (see Ovid, Met., Book III)
Draft at Mad Fox. Poured a clear golden color with out a head. Medium carbonation. Aroma is sweet cider, apples, some sugar notes. A touch dry, not overly sweet. Touch of tartness. Okay.
Tall can. Pours straw, high carbonation, sweet, but not as bad as those apple soda type ciders. Still, hard to drink, it’s so easy to make good cider I don’t understand why there’s so much crap. Not going to bother with a regular review.
Can. Pours clear pale yellow with a small, fizzy white head and no retention or lacing. Aroma is apple and earthy notes. Flavor is apples and dry grass with a dry finish. Light body and medium carbonation.
500ml can. Golden and clear in the glass, no head. Light fruity nose, mild apple. Taste is fairly light, dry and crisp apple notes. Ends with fizzy mineral water and very faint water apple. High carbonation, body is light. Quite unexciting and industrial.
Pours light yellow with a small white head. Aroma is apple sweetness with some tangy citrus. Taste is small grain in front and sour, tart apple in the back. So much tartness that its unpleasant.
Serving: Can from State Line Liquors. It pours a light gold color with a slight, white ring for a head. The nose is very weak with slight apple notes. The flavor is very light as well. Note quite as sweet as most mass produced American examples of the style but it lacks any kind of complexity. Almost watery and over carbonated.
Clear golden pour with a short lived, soda-like head. Nose is very bland. Water, metal, lemon, and some granny smith apple skins. The flavor is dry, tart, metallic, and watery. Very mild apple, some hints of lemon zest, and a mild sweetness.
on draft at mad fox. Pours a clear gold with a white head. Banana notes in the nose. Flavors reminiscent of dead falls from our backyard apple tree. OK.
Can. Clear pale gold pour with a smaller white head. Tart and sweet apple in this. I don’t hate it as much as some.
Watery lack luster cider here - weird aftertaste adds even more to worry about.
Starts kind of nice and just turns sickening after a while. Reminds me of a juicy juice drink box that has gone beyond its expiration date. I couldn’t even recommend it for dessert as it was just too sweet. The reason I did rate it as high as I did is the fact that it started kind of nice.
Golden orange pour from a can. Not much aroma. I’m not big on cider and this is even mediocre for the style.
From notes. interesting, one of my first ciders. Will take getting accustomed to. Sweet, somewhat dry, and refreshing.
500 mL can. Nothing particularly exciting about this one. Kinda bland. Is this 75 characters yet?
Pours a clear golden color with a small white head. The aroma is an unattractive mix of grain and wheat. The flavor is much of the same. I get a lot of corn and grain notes, as well as quite a bit of sugar and apple. Just a bad cider.
Can. Medium gold, medium carbo. Aroma is really bad-- like apple flavoured soda pop, metal shavings, and eggy farts. Flavours of sickly sweet corn syrup and fake apple. How has this gained such success in the mass marketplace? Who the fuck honestly thinks this tastes good? I understand how watery pale lagers have their place-- I really do because I started there long ago. But this doesn’t hold any kind of appeal on any level. Just terrible. Drainpour.
Can. Light apple aroma. Pours piss yellow with no head to speak of. Has a weird, artificial flavor to it, plus a metallic taste in the background. Aftertaste is of artificial flavor and rotting fruit. Not even good as a thirst quencher as it tastes like crap. [voice of comic book guy from The Simpsons]: "Worst. Cider. EVER!"
Can from Magsinva. Pours apple color with little carbonation and almost no head. Has an artificial vibe to the nose. Taste is thin and the finish is watery. One of the worst ciders I’ve had so far. I can’t imagine many being worse.
Can. Yeasty apple aroma. Golden with a small white, quickly dissipating head. Bland apple flavor, with a light citric tartness. Sharp carbonation, slightly dry finish. I’ve had worse, I’ve had better.
Not much of a scent on this, looks like a light beer. Taste like a stale wine blahh.
Smells like apples. Medium bodied with high carbonation. Slightly acidic, mild apple flavour profile. Finish is dry and tart.