Review of Newton Court’s Gasping Goose Organic cider.  It is my first time trying this, but I recently sampled their perry on draft.

Cider:  Gasping Goose Organic Cider
Cidery:  Newton Court
Cidery Location:  Herefordshire England
ABV:  4.8%
How Supplied:  330ml single bottles (and multi-packs, kegs, and bag-in-box)
Style:  English Organic craft cider from cider apples

Availability:  Unknown.  It looks like they are in at least a few other major U.S. cities, such as San Francisco, plus obviously, England.

Cider Description:  This cider is the result of 14 years of Paul’s experience growing, pressing and blending the best cider apples in the country – and now it’s certified organic. Gasping Goose is a complex medium cider with a slightly tannic finish. Pair it with a pork belly or with a chicken pie – it’s a refreshing proper cider that loves hearty real food.

Cidery Description:  Paul started Newton Court Cidery back in 2000. His mum and dad still come over most days to help out with the lambing and whatever else needs fixing…For us, craft cider means cider that’s pressed at our farm by a master cider maker named Paul (and a few of his local friends). It means making cider out of proper apples. It means a cidery surrounded by orchards, not industrial equipment. It means people covered in mud and apple peels, not people in suits. Buying craft cider supports local business, the heritage and the countryside…But most of all, craft cider tastes much, much better.

Price:  $4 / single bottle
Where Bought:  Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Browsing.  Sarah (my friend and the Cider House manager) mentioned she tried when she was in England last year and they were newly available here.  They also had a perry from this cidery on draft when I bought this bottle.

First Impression:  Dark straw yellow hue.  Low to moderate carbonation.  Smells rich and tannic.

Tasting Notes:  Semi-dry to semi-sweet.  Low tartness.  Moderate acidity.  Hints of bitterness and funk.  Moderate to high tannins.  No sourness.  Notes of bittersweet cider apples, leather, oak, butterscotch, and orange.  Long tannic drier finish.  Moderate sessionability, apple flavor, flavor intensity, and complexity.

My Opinion:  Awesome!  I really enjoyed it.  Rich, tannic, apple-forward, mid-level sweetness, and no sourness….I don’t have a single complaint.  This is one of my favorite English ciders.

Most Similar to:  Dunkertons Black Fox and Henney’s Vintage

Closing Notes:  I like that this is available in single bottles, but hopefully I can find somewhere that sells it in a multi pack so it costs a bit less (although $5 / 330ml is less than $8 / 500ml, which is pretty typical for English cider around here, although they were going for less at Bushwhacker in Portland).

Have you tried Newton Court cider?  What did you think?