Sidra Natural Acebal
This cider holds the claim of being one of the oldest recipes in Asturias, being made virtually unchanged since the end of the 19th century. Fermented with wild yeasts, aged on the lees and bottled unfiltered, this is an antique in all the best ways.
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 | Straw (3 SRM) |
| Clarity | Hazy |
| Espalme | Panizal: lively carbon dioxide, well balanced |
| Pegue | lots of super tiny bubbles that 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 | lively and invigorating to the tongue |
| Finish | Medium (15-30 Seconds) |
| Balance | Finu: a cider that is "clean", "clear", and "balanced" - The ideal cider flavor profile |
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 | Balanced apple flavors |
| Acetic Flavors | Pleasant balanced acetic qualities |
| Astringent Flavors | Fema: more sweet than tart, with little acidity or astringency, without any strong notes. |
Tasting Notes
Dry, fragrant, and nicely boozy. This is old-style cider and I can't get enough of it
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.
