CheritonFitzpaine

Aroma in bottle is oaken and fruity in equal parts. In the glass, straw in colour, virtually clear, and with less fizz apparent than expected. Smell is less sweet, with a hint of furniture polish. In the mouth, sparkle is pleasantly light, barely frizzante, and well-judged. Apple flavours are forward – they start sherbet, embitter to a clean and lightly tannic cider apple freshness, before finishing on a baked quality. A third of the way down, swirling brings out an autumn leaves aroma. There's a little rubber to the flavour, not like it's off in any sense, but it's nevertheless slightly inelegant. Otherwise, oak and sweet lemons are inoffensive and understated currents. It does lack complexity, and develops little in the glass. To my dry tastes, this is probably medium-sweet rather than truly medium. You can do worse – the light flavours, minimal body, and clean texture make for easy enough drinking. But there's nothing particularly special to recommend for this. Though maybe i shouldn't be drinking a cider called Summer Solstice on December 21!

Oaky aroma in bottle, with custard making for an evocation of english trifle. Straw coloured and very fizzy in the glass, noisily so, but otherwise crystal clear. Aroma reinforced with a fresh grassy and floral touch. A little bitterness hits the palate, before sweetness brings forward the flavours from the nose. Bittersweet apples join, and with accompanying rhubarb the dessert theme is very much retained. After a few sips, the apple and rhubarb start to come out in the aroma too. The texture itself is nice, very clean and supple, but the carbonation is excessive and a bit obtrusive. It takes a good third of a pint for this to calm down to any extent. By this point, a mineral touch is happily present in the finish, though unfortunately the juiciness becomes a touch cordial. Towards the bottom of the glass, there's little development or complexity. Kingston Black varietals are hard to go wrong with, but though this couldn't be said to be a ruin, it is disappointingly bland.