Old Man & The Bee Through The Years
A few weeks ago writer Adam Wells joined us for a tasting of all six vintages of Old Man & the Bee that have so far been released. Co-founder of the inspirational Cider Review, he’s written beautifully about the experience on the site, published today, 4 March.
Old Man & the Bee closely reflects our short journey as cider makers. For the first few years, we simply chose the best fruit from the four varieties we grow in our Home Orchard, Dabinett, Ellis Bitter, Foxwhelp and Harry Masters Jersey. It was in 2019, motivated by wanting to somehow amplify and better show the character of this orchard, the fruit and the season of growing, that we took the decision to “plug in” the 2019 Old Man (and all subsequent vintages) by ageing them in oak. It instinctively felt like the right thing to do and for us the 2020 entirely validates that decision.
We’ve had to be quite patient – eleven months in barrel, a year in bottle – but finally it’s time to let the “Bees” fly and with spring around the corner and the daffs out it feels good!
The Taste of Terroir
What does it taste like? I doubt we can do any better than Adam:
“A showstopper that perfectly reflects orchard, vintage, and the evolution of Old Man & the Bee. Unquestionably my favourite nose in the series, maybe my favourite OMATB full stop. Still unbelievably concentrated — will age well over half a decade or more to come”
For the full review, please head over to Cider Review. As ever the piece is super thoughtful and touches on many things that are important in cider making. Plus, at the same time you can catch the excellent midweek piece on perry in Domfront, France there too!
If you fancy a bottle or two, Old Man & the Bee 2020 is available now from our website shop, alongside a few magnums of the 2018 vintage. Or you can pick up in person at our bottle shop, Saturdays, 12-3pm, or by appointment. (Club Members don't forget to include your discount if ordering online. It will also be heading out to retailers and wholesalers over the coming weeks.
If you'd like to join our Cider Club, please do. You enjoy 10% discount on Little Pomona ciders and perries, and we have a few spaces at the moment. You can find out more here.
And do sign up for our newsletter to stay in touch with new releases and upcoming events - just scroll to the foot of our home page and pop your email in.
Have a lovely weekend one and all – Wassail!
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#CiderIsNotJustForSummer