Royal Bath and West Show...

2014 is truly turning out to be a fantastic year for 146 Cider Company. Not only because the cider is proving to be popular (thanks all!!) but also because I was asked to judge the cider at this years Royal Bath and West Show.

OK, there were 28 judges this year (well, it is the biggest cider competition in the world!!) with classes being allocated to specific people. Very sensibly judges are not allowed to enter a class you are judging! I got 'Bottled Sweet Cider', judging alongside John Perry (of Perry's Cider fame). I also ran a couple of tutored cider tastings where I tried very hard not to offend any of the large producers whilst taking people on a tour of the UK styles (and beyond).

But first, I have to say, 146 picked up a 'Highly Commended' once again - this time for a single variety Michelin cider. I know, I often say I 'don't do' single varieties. All of the Michelin (bar a couple of demijohns) were blended with Kingston Black to make Thornleigh Estate. I am a growing fan of Michelin - it is a much misunderstood cider variety that offers a mild tannin and fruity complexion... but is often dominated by bigger hitting varieties. Maybe next year. However, this is the 4th accolade in 2014 for my cider, so I am clearly very happy!

Anyway. Judging. The Royal Bath and West Show is a very professionally run affair - a classic rural show with lots of machinery and a big 'show ring' sitting alongside such things as cheese, honey and cider tents. Well worth a day out! Judging takes place at set times and there were some 560 entrants this year... thankfully only 34 in the bottled sweet class though!

As opposed to being a world class cider maker:-) I think I probably was invited along more because of my work with Cider Workshop than as 146 Cider Company... but I can never turn down the chance of drinking other peoples cider!!

Drinking cider at 0900 in the morning is a task in itself, but unlike the dryer categories there is no upper limit on sweetness for the class I was judging. So John and I 'girded our loins', grabbed a handful of crackers and cheese (and a bottle of water) and set about trying to rule ciders in and out. Every now and again, we checked our palates with a call of 'please measure this cider' - out came a hydrometer to measure the sweetness and we would generally be fairly spot on. In fact, only one really caught us out - it was incredibly sweet... though a 5 minute break, several lumps of cheese and a few crackers and our taste buds returned to the front of our mouths for more!!

Eventually we got to 5 ciders that were in the running. At this point things are very tight - although our top two were fairly easy - well balanced and a good flavour to them. Ultimately, we had our list - giving 'commended' to the two that fell 4th and 5th.

The final twist is that both 1st and 2nd were Thatchers... proof indeed that the larger producers can deliver great cider.

Will I do it again? Well, I hope so. It is a great competition. It hasn't made me reconsider going beyond medium for my own cider sweetening though - does a cider really need that much sweetness?

More awards...

I wondered whether to list all of the events that are coming up for 146 over the next month. However, having spent a lot of time reworking the website there is an events calendar - so hopefully I get to blog about it less (not that this blog has been faithfully or reliably updated so far:-)

My bad!

What I would like to do is to brag about my newest, greenest award. Once again, the bottle fermented Hampshire Heritage has won a prize at the Big Apple Cider Trials in Putley, Herefordshire. This time it is a third place.

Whilst 'award winning' cider producers are two a penny these days - and 3rd place isn't exactly winning - it IS a useful measure that the standards are being upheld or even improved... and that is good for reputation and the drinker. After all, I want to continue to grow 146 Cider and the only way to do it is in a way that ensures quality and standards are kept as 'the same' as I possibly can!

So - 3rd out of 18 bottle conditioned ciders isn't bad... it will be available to buy this year too (though in limited numbers!!!) Look out for OneFourSix Reserve!!

Another win at Winchester for Eastern Delight...

I really love this cider thing. There is always a chance to meet new people and there is always an excuse to have fun. The 2014 Winchester Ale and Cider Festival was just - and working on the bar was a great deal of fun.

And because of this, it is even more satisfying that 146 Cider was awarded the Gold Medal, for the second time, for Eastern Delight. And to make things even better, the Medium cider (yeah, its simply called medium) won the Silver Medal... so a 1st and a 2nd for the local cider.

I will update with suitably crowing photos of the awards when I get them, but needless to say my head is quite large at the moment:-) And excellent way to start 2014!!



In other news...

It is also worth letting you know that 146 Cider can now be found in draught at Ebeneezers pub in Hythe... and in bottle form at the Butchers Hook micropub in Bitterne Triangle. I will get them onto the website as soon as I have a second.

I really hope it goes well at these pubs as I would love to have a couple of regular local pubs that I could point people to. I am not especially paranoid, but previously I did get the feeling that I had a 'shadow' when trying to get in to any pub in Southampton... it seemed I would supply and then, oddly, a 'certain' company who appear to rebadge ciders would come in a lot cheaper. Lets hope their local salesperson has matured a little and leaves enough space for more than one cider company - after all, its not as if they make the stuff (possibly) - and selling cider shouldn't be [puns relating to other company cider pun names removed]

Big Apple CIder Trials 2013... another win for 146 Cider

Earlier this month, the annual Big Apple Cider Trials were held at Putley in Herefordshire. This is one of the nicest, friendliest competitions in the cider calendar each year (although being the fourth year of entry, I was keen to take it seriously and *try* to bring home a piece of paper.

And it is with great pleasure that I can say we have achieved that. A first place too! For Hampshire Heritage Vintage which won first place in the Bottle Fermented Cider class. I am very happy about this - the class is hotly contested with some of the best cider makers in the UK (if not the world) entering, so it is very good to be associated (in a tiny way) with them.

Hampshire Heritage Vintage is a 'Traditional method' cider. I could call it 'Methode Champenoise'... no, wait, I couldnt. It isnt from France and it isn't wine! However, it is a fully fermented Hampshire Heritage that is then layed down in a punted bottle to condition for a number of months with a charge of champagne yeast and additional sugar. Once it has finished its new fermentation in bottle, the yeast is riddled (caught in the neck of the bottle) and then disgorged (ejected). This creates a highly sparkling and clear cider that is mature and full of intense flavours.

Sadly, there were only 25 bottles of this for 2013. Perhaps next year I will make more:-)

Gold Medal for Eastern Delight...

Following on from the success of Eastern Delight at the 2012 Southampton Beer Festival (it was crowned 'Cider of the Festival', the eastern style cider has been awarded Gold Medal at the 2013 Winchester Ale and Cider Festival.

This is particularly satisfying for us at 146; many competitions around the UK have very little place for a cider made exclusively from dessert fruit - in fact, in the west they are often dismissed as having some kind of fault. I have long felt that this was a mistake, that a cider made from high quality, heritage varieties of dessert apples (the ones that focus more on flavour and less on being crisp and sweet) could make an interesting cider.

This is the start of the 2013 cider competition season - so lets see what else we have in store this year.

Another Southampton win...

Adding to the '146 Hall of Fame' in my dining room, I can now proudly announce that Easter Delight won 'Cider of the Festival' at Southampton Beer Festival 2012. I prepared a press release, which I intended to send off to the local rag (but I haven't found the gumption to do so yet...). Here it is:

Local Producer Celebrates Local Win

Southampton based cider producer, 146 Cider Company, celebrated another win at the CAMRA Southampton Beer Festival over the Jubilee weekend. Eastern Delight, the companies ‘eastern style’ of cider, won the award via public vote during the festival, which featured ciders from Wales, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and the other producers in Hampshire. 

This is the second time 146 Cider has won the award, with it's Hampshire Heritage cider blend winning the title in 2010. Jez Howat, cider maker for 146 Cider, said, “Winning in my home town is always the most important thing I can do as a producer." This award means that all three of the main 146 blends of cider now have accolades, with the companies Wild West Cider winning ‘Highly Commended’ at Bath and West show in 2011.

“Both Eastern Delight and Hampshire Heritage ciders are made using locally sourced apples, so it is an entirely Hampshire drink in both its ingredients and production. I have calculated that the entire food mileage for both drinks is somewhere in the region of 80 miles or so - not untypical for cider, which is an incredibly low input product.”

“Campaign for Real Ale (and cider!!) festivals are important for small scale beer and cider producers as they showcase some of the best drinks available, often with a focus on local products. The Southampton Beer Festival is probably CAMRA’s largest annual beer festival on the south coast, so it’s an important event for 146 Cider.

"I would like to thank all those who voted for Eastern Delight at the festival, and also to those who offered comments to me directly about the cider – this helps to inform me as to what I am doing well and also how I can improve the cider next year.”

[Ends]

The Bath and West photographic proof...

Thanks to Cider Workshop member Rich (Hoody) for taking this photo:

Highly Commended for 146 Cider Company...

I am very pleased to announce (and I hope not too prematurely) that 146 Cider has been awarded 'Highly Commended' for its dry farmhouse cider at this years Bath and West Show - one of the premier competitions in the UK for cider and perry.

OK, its not 1st, 2nd or 3rd. Rose Grant - mentor, friend and double winner at Bath and West took 3rd in the dry Farmhouse class (well done to her). However, the fact that it ranked so highly is a very pleasing feat in only my second year of commercial cidermaking... though my 7th or 8th at making cider!

I ought to mention that my comrade Hampshire cidermaker Barry and John Topp of New Forest Cider won Champion Farmhouse Cider for their sweet cider - a great achievement and I am a big fan of theirs.

I entered two classes - Dry Farmhouse and Dry bottled - there really aren't that many dry cider categories and many entries from across the UK. I have no idea how the bottled got on. I could increase my chances by enterintg more classes, but I just don't like sweetening my cider!

Let me rephrase that: when I am able to stop my cider fermenting through to dry I will probably do a medium dry. But at the moment, with the technology available to me, it is difficult. In any case, I make cider that I enjoy drinking - that is what I started off with aiming at, and it still is. Furthermore, I like my dry cider - it isn't that dry after all (OK - my strict definition it is very dry as it finishes at an SG of about .995). So, 146 Ciders are dry - full juice and naturally fermented...

I guess I should never say never, but for the moment I think it is doing quite well enough au naturale:-)

Well done to all the winners this year - I understand there were vast amounts of entries for all classes. And well done to the judges for working through them all!!!

A very busy weekend...

This weekend saw several cider making events around the UK. The annual Big Apple Blossomtime celebrations started with its usual cider trials at Putley village hall... a small venue for a much respected and popular event. Down south, the Powerstock festival in Dorset is a growing event which incorporates festivities with another peer judged competition. And the Reading Beer and Cider Festival, in its 17th year, held the National CAMRA Cider Competition finals AND the regional round of next years competiton.

Clearly even cider makers are not magicians, so attending all three was a bit of a tall order! In any event, competitions for me are about making sure that the cider I made last year is of good order. So I entered the Putley trials which were, after all, responsible for my going commercial in the first place. In addition as a supplier to the Reading Festival entered the Hampshire Heritage into the regional round of the CAMRA competition (though I couldn't attend as I was in Putley).

Whilst it is a shame that all three events were held on the same day (definite case of bad timings!!!) the weekend was very good. Reading has been buzzing (so I have heard) and nearly run out of cider on several occasions. As I write this, I have yet to hear from anyone who attended the Powerstock festival - so they must have had a very good time indeed!

For such a small location, Putley attracts some very good cider makers from all over the country. None moreso though than the Herefordshire cider makers. I had the pleasure of meeting several of them, including Mike Johnson from Ross on Wye Cider and Perry - and he deservedly carried off most pieces of paper (awards) including Overall Champion. It was also good to catch up with and meet with a number of Cider Workshop members (some of whom won more than I did - but then I don't make perry!!:-)

As a friend and cider making compatriot (Mark Shirley) said, it has been a good weekend for cider and perry!

Cider of the Festival – CAMRA Southampton Beer & Cider Festival 2010

It makes me very happy to announce that 146 Cider was given the honour of being the ‘Cider of the Festival’ at the recent Southampton Beer & Cider Festival.

This is the first time South Hants CAMRA have awarded this, so I am particularly pleased with the result. As it is nominated by the people who attend the Festival, it is further evidence (to me) that the things are being done properly and that the cider is sellable.

From another point of view, it is also a good result for The Cider Workshop too. As a part of the team that run the Workshop, I can now join the ranks of Ray, Mark and Roy in being producers that are not only commercial, but also have been awarded something for their efforts. I think I may have a little way to go before putting myself on the same level as Mr Gold Award for Service to the Industry Andrew Lea, however. Not a bad line up of people to run a forum though eh!

All the best

Registering for business...

Whilst things have been a bit slow on the ground here, I have finally managed to register the business with the Council. OK, it doesn’t mean we are ready to sell yet... although I am shortly taking a delivery of bottles ready to get going. There is still a bit of work to do – insurances need to be purchased (just in case) and I am slowly but surely working my way through the Business Link start-up business ‘organiser’. This is an administrative thing that just helps me make sure I have checked all the correct boxes as a business before getting on with the fun part of actually selling the cider.

The intention for this blog is to act as a conduit to 146 Cider – there are two purposes for this. First of all, it means that people who buy the stuff can see where its come from and who we are. The other reason (all things being equal) is that I intend to build a partnership with an off-licence who can actually supply the cider, meaning that I can simply point people in that direction for the time being. To me, this seems to be the most appropriate way of starting out – although I will welcome feedback on this blog!

The only other thing to update is that I have now entered two cider competitions this year – the Big Apple ‘Putley’ competition and the International Hereford Museum competition.

Putley is a bit of a ‘cider-off’, with participants being judged by their fellow competitors, and if often seen as one of the more equitable ways of judging a cider competition. For 146 Cider, this will be our first ‘outing’ against others and I am hoping its going to be a great time! It has been plugged quite a lot on The Cider Workshop, so lets hope there are some friendly faces during the day.

The Hereford Museum competition is a more serious set up, and probably a bit more prestigious too. Again, its taking my Hampshire cider into the lions den that is Herefordshire – it will be interesting to see how it fares against cider that is made in ‘the heart of cider country’!

There may be other competitions on the books, although I am not sure if I want to go for many more this year – it would be great to place at all in these two.

All the best
Jez