Review of Left Field’s British Dry. I picked this up at a cruise port stop in Victoria B.C. It is my first time trying this, but I’ve had their Little Dry before.
Cider: British Dry
Cidery: Left Field
Cidery Location: Logan Lake, B.C., Canada
ABV: 6.2%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: Canadian craft cider from B.C. apples, including bittersweet varieties
Availability: Year round, only in B.C. and Alberta Canada
Cider Description: Our English Dry cider is dominated by bittersweet cider apple varieties which originated in the United Kingdom. The result is a cider that balances bitter tannins and stringency with rich apple aromatics.
Cidery Description: Family-owned and operated by sisters Theresa and Kate, Left Field focuses on a small batch approach to traditional cider-making which brings out the natural characteristics of the apples. We make handcrafted, artisanal English-style cider by blending English and French cider varieties with BC dessert apples.
They have a tasting room open seasonally.
Price: $9.05 CAN (~ $7.35 USD)
Where Bought: The Strath in Victoria B.C.
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing
First Impression: Light straw yellow hue. Very low carbonation. Smells acidic and of citrus.
Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of dry. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness. High acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of juicy tart green apple, lemon, and mineral. Moderate length acidic finish. Moderate apple flavor, flavor intensity, complexity, and sessionability.
My Opinion: I liked the juicy flavor. However, I was disappointed by the lack of perceived bittersweet cider apple flavor and English cider qualities – it tasted more like a mix of dessert and heirloom varieties to me. That said, I imagine the bittersweet apples added to the flavor of the final product, despite them not being individually identifiable.
Most Similar to: Left Field Little Dry and Virtue Cider Michigan Brut
Closing Notes: I’d recommend Left Field to fans of dry cider who live in B.C. They remain one of the best choices for true craft cider in the area, along with Sea Cider, Tod Creek, etc. Stay tuned for more reviews of B.C. cider here, as I picked up a number of bottles when I was there.
Have you tried Left Field cider? What did you think?
Cider Says 
I would also expect it to have a bittersweet cider apple flavor. That would be an English cider to me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, me too! I’m guessing bittersweet cider apples were only a small percent of the blend. Overall a nice cider, but not what I was expecting.
I haven’t tasted a single U.S, made English-style cider that was anything close to the good stuff. Some cideries here are getting a good handle on keeving / making a French-style cider though.
LikeLiked by 1 person