Sidra Natural J. Tomas
Talk about consistency! Four generations of one family has made this cider, and in each one, the managing member has been named José Tomás. Still using some of the original barrels from the end of the 19th century and making their cider with the same recipe in the same mill the first generation ran.
I like these very old expressions that have not bowed to one trend or another in cider making. A bit murky in the bottle with plenty of bits floating around. An audible pop when you uncork it from the residual sugar carbonation. A great blast of obviously boozy apple funk enveloping you as you pour the first culín.
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 | Bright |
| Espalme | Panizal: lively carbon dioxide, well balanced |
| Pegue | Nice legs, bubble adhere for a long time |
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 | Medium |
| Sensation | Very apple forward on the attack, giving way to a tingly alcohol sensation. Long boozy finish |
| 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 | Strong alcohol taste and aroma |
| Apple Flavors | Balanced apple flavors |
| Acetic Flavors | Machu: A very full bodied cider with much more acetic notes and very little sweetness. |
| Astringent Flavors | Secante: refreshingly dry and stimulating to the palate. |
Tasting Notes
A boozier version of J. Tomas' Molin del Medio DOP cider.
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.
