Kingston Black is a Somerset bitter sharp apple regarded by many as the perfect cider apple producing a well-balanced juice with high sugar and acid and moderate tannins. We have permission to pick from a disused traditional orchard near Hereford and were delighted when we came across a single large tree of this variety. We collected enough fruit to make 150 litres of juice. Fermentation took place in a stainless steel tank using wild yeast and it was bottled before fermentation was complete to give a natural sweetness and sparkle (the pét-nat method). Unpasteurised and unfiltered.
Fermentation record
| Date | SG | Notes |
| 25 Nov 2022 | 1.070 | pH 3.0. No SO2 added. |
| 31 Mar 2023 | 1.017 | Racked |
| 13 Jul 2023 | 1.013 | Bottled at 7.2% abv |
| 19 Nov 2023 | 1.013 | Released |
Tasting notes
Medium cider with a subtle petillant sparkle.
Review
From Chris at Cork & Crown