Review of Dan Kelly’s Irish Cider.  This is the second Irish cider I’ve tried (the first was Cragie’s Ballyhook Flier, plus I’ve also tried Dublin’s Pub, a Canadian Irish-style cider).

Cider:  Cider
Cidery:  Dan Kelly’s
Cidery Location:  Drogheda Ireland
ABV:  4.5%
How Supplied:  500ml bottle
Style:  Irish craft cider

 

None of the sub-pages of their website worked, including the one to contact them, so I couldn’t find much info straight from the source.

Availability:  Unknown, but it appears they have at least limited distribution in the U.S., plus in Ireland and Germany

Cider Description:  Dan Kelly’s Irish cider is crisp blend of cider apples with Bramley and dessert fruit using hand-picked apples from our own family orchard. These combinations give our craft cider a refreshing, crisp and extremely flavoursome finish every time.

Aged at least a year (I assume in a tank, as they didn’t mention barrels).  Fermented with wild yeast (which is rare, as typically ciders will add a predictable known yeast strain rather than rely on the yeast from the apples & environment).

Cidery Description:  Dan Kelly’s Cider is a new Irish cider made from hand picked apples from our very own family orchard. We are one of the only cider producers in Ireland to grow our own fruit. Our apples are blended to ensure the full fruit flavour comes through in our craft cider.

Price:  ~$9
Where Bought:  Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Browsing

First Impression:  Light amber-orange.  Low carbonation.  Smells dry, funky, and of oak.

Tasting Notes:  Between semi-dry and semi-sweet.  Low tannins, acidity, tartness, and bitterness.  Slight funk.  Moderate apple flavor.  Medium bodied.  Notes of oak and herbalness.  Moderate length finish.  Moderate sessionability.

My Opinion:  I thought this one was ok.  My main issue was a slightly off flavor I detected that I didn’t enjoy, likely from wild yeast fermentation (which is what can cause a cider to taste a bit funky).

Most Similar to:  English cider, although this one had a bit of unique flavor I assume is from the wild yeast.

Closing Notes:   I think I prefer English cider to Irish cider so far.  For a dollar or two less I can get an English cider I really enjoy, such as from Aspall or Sheppy’s.

Have you tried Dan Kelly’s cider?  What did you think?