Sidra Natural El Cerezo
Once upon a time all cider in Asturias was like this. Made the old fashioned way. Sidra Natural Sidra El Cerezo is made with apples from the neighboring farms. First fermented in barrels in the barn, then sold primarily to locals who stop into the bar-tienda.
I very much enjoy this cider, and make a point to buy some every time I am in Cabrales. I enjoy everything about the experience. Pulling off of the road into the llagar parking lot. Seeing the owner working in the barn. Checking out what is for sale in the shop. Loading the case of sidra into the car. All of it works together to make for a nice experience.
It certainly doesn’t hurt that sidra natural El Cerezo is so nice to drink. Hazy, fizzy, a little bit sweet. This is cider that makes you think “I should try to make this“.
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 Yellow (04 SRM) |
| Clarity | Hazy |
| Espalme | Panizal: lively carbon dioxide, well balanced |
| Pegue | Excellent adhesion, tons of medium sized bubbles |
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 | Full |
| Sensation | Slick, quickly becoming drying |
| 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 | Sweet apples (table apples) |
| 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
Woody notes and additional astringency from the barrels. I am a big fan of how dry this is, especially in the aftertaste.
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.
