“The UK’s first canned cider produced with genuine craft credentials” is the description given to Caple Rd Cider – a new spin-off brand from well-known large-scale producer Westons.
Look at the packaging, and you can see how keen the Caple Rd guys are to highlight their “real cider” credentials. This 5.2% ABV cider is crafted from fresh apple juice (they don’t actually state whether they use cider apples or eating apples, so I’m assuming the latter…), rather than from concentrate, and is matured in stainless steel and oak for a maximum of 18 months before being canned. The only thing they’ve added is sulphites, which help to preserve the freshness of the cider, and vegetarians, vegans and coeliacs will be happy to discover that Caple Rd is a suitable cider for their dietary requirements.
The branding’s designed to look independent too – it seems that Westons have taken their design inspiration from the craft beer movement with bold fonts and colours, a hand-writing style font for the wealth of information that each can features, and even some slightly bizarre fingerprints in black – I’m not entirely sure why these are there…
Open the can, and the tangy apple aromas hit you straight away – it certainly smells more like real cider than other canned ciders. Amber-coloured and mildly carbonated on the pour, this tanginess also comes through in the flavour, along with a hint of smokiness from the oak. It’s a medium dry cider with a fresh apple flavour, quite tart but still very refreshing. And it’s certainly very drinkable.
Available in 330ml cans, Caple Rd. Cider certainly delivers on the taste front – and for those who enjoy it chilled, it takes up very little space in the fridge too. You can buy Caple Rd. Cider directly from the Westons website at a price of £31 for 24 cans (£1.29 per can), or if you’re looking to enjoy it in Bristol, visit Bagel Boy and try one of their amazing bagels at the same time.
Please note: this cider was received free of charge, but in no way impacted on our opinion. We were not obliged to write a positive review, and the company did not see this review before it was put up on the site.