Sidra Tradicional Vda. Angelon
Originally introduced in 1947, this is the cider that Alfredo Ordóñez Onís built his llagar around. His mother, Carmen, ran a well-known llagar in Nava, Casa Angelón. When Alfredo looked for a name to baptize his first cider, he to join the memory of his mother to the disappeared figure of his father, thus being born the Vda. de Angelón cider, which pays tribute to him with his name and image. In 2021 the orchards growing the apples for this cider were certified organic.
Appearance
Asturians put great stock in the proper appearance and presentation of the cider. Perhaps more so than anywhere else I’ve ever drunk cider. For that reason, there is a well-developed vocabulary in Asturias for describing the visual aspects of sidra natural.
| Color | Pale Straw (2 SRM) |
| Clarity | Hazy |
| Espalme | Panizal: lively carbon dioxide, well balanced |
| Pegue | Lacy persistent legs |
Mouthfeel
Mouthfeel refers to the physical sensations (as opposed to the aromas and flavors) of the cider. It refers to textures that touch the tongue, roof of the mouth, teeth, throat, and to some extent, the aftertaste sensations.
| Body | Light |
| Sensation | Nicely tart |
| Finish | Long (30+ Seconds) |
| Balance | Fechu: A full bodied cider with high alcohol content and a strong flavor |
Aromas & Flavors
Sidra natural has a set of basic aromas and flavors that, to one degree or another, all examples exhibit. Here I rate the relative strength of those basic flavors, and afterwards discuss any additional flavor or aroma components that are noteworthy.
| Alcohol | Alma: Balanced alcohol |
| Apple Flavors | Apple forward |
| Acetic Flavors | Machu: A very full bodied cider with much more acetic notes and very little sweetness. |
| Astringent Flavors | Agrín: Strong, dry, cider. |
Tasting Notes
Very earthy barnyard aromas with an overlay of ripe apples. Moderately sour and more crisp apple flavors than the aroma. Some sulfur notes. Long sour finish. Very light body.
About Cider Tasting
This evaluation standard is my own. It is not created or endorsed by any official body in Asturias or elsewhere. I designed it based on the work of the Brewer’s Association and the work of Travis Robert Alexander & Brianna L. Ewing Valliere of the Washington State University Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources. It is also informed by the traditional vocabulary used to describe cider in Asturias. You can read more about my methodology, my standard for evaluating Asturian cider, and the descriptive lexicon I use.
