Winter is Coming … Perry’s OPA Cider to the Rescue

Cider of the Week: Perry’s Oak, Pears Apple Cider (OPA) 5.5% ABV

As the night’s draw in and the temperatures begin to drop, we (the tipplers) generally start looking for a different tipple of choice, a winter warmer! Something a bit richer, that carries a bit more texture and weight.

Cider doesn’t necessarily spring to mind as a beverage for the cold months, as we generally tend to associate it with the summer, as it’s typically light and refreshing. However, we have discovered a real treat in Perry’s OPA to warm you up this winter!

Perry’s have been making craft cider since the early part of the 20th century, 1920 to be exact, it even says it on the label! And it brings me great relief, to say they know what they’re doing…otherwise, this could have been really awkward! They’re based down in beautiful South Somerset near the Blackdown Hills, where green pastures and wildlife are in abundance, a dreamy place for those little apples to mature away. It’s all about the fruit!

This week, among other joyful activities, I’ve been set the task of tasting one of their new lines of small-batch cider, the OPA!

How’s it made you ask?

Well after the fermentation process using wild yeasts, the cider has been left to age for 4 months in oak barrels, which helps to give it that nice round, smooth texture and adds complexity to the overall profile. Once that is all done, the pear juice plays its part by adding a little bit of richness and vibrancy to the blend.

Now down to the really serious bit…the analysis.

Drinking it lightly chilled to let the OPA sing, I get aromas of cedar wood and spice, they are very delicate and not too intense, a very elegant nose. Moving on to the palette, for me, the taste matches up to what my nose has detected, wood and spice along with a nice baked apple edge.

In terms of structure, tannins are there, just enough and supple enough to give you that bit of grip, so that it doesn’t just slide down the back of your neck. It really is, a very nicely balanced medium to full bodied cider, that gives you a warm cuddle!

Very impressed – well done Perry’s! Cider is definitely on the cards this Winter!