Cider Sunday - Apple Tree Apple & Elderflower Cider (NZ)

When you love cider and food as much as we do, you tend to find that holidays turn into a little bit of a hunting expedition for new and unusual cider and foods. The bad part about that is that cider bottles are heavy and prone to breaking and you can't take them as hand luggage as they are over the 100ml limit.

So you can imagine the dilemma when we travelled back from NZ recently with many new ciders in tow. I have managed to get the packing of cider down to a fine art - although during a visit to Wine Tastes in Queenstown I discovered these convenient and economical wine bottle transport packs called The WineSkin. I think they cost me $4 NZD each which really is a small price to pay to protect your bottle.

I was really impressed by it because basically it's designed to fit a standard 750ml bottle. It has two really strong adhesive seals at the bottom and bubble film on the inside to cushion the bottle. And, even in the unfortunate event of your bottle smashing it claims to be strong enough to contain the broken glass and all the liquid preventing it from leaking through your luggage.Lucky for me the wine skin protected my NZ ciders and I didn't have to test this theory.

Apple Tree Cider is a cloudy cider made from Braeburn NZ apples and elderflower, a white blossom flower which are known for their aromatic qualities. The elderflower contained in this cider are grown wild and handpicked on the banks of the Rakaia River in Canterbury, NZ.

The cider has a lovely aroma with crisp sweet apple and honey scents coming through. It pours with only a little fizz which settles quickly and its flavour follows through with apple and floral notes. It is very crisp and fresh, and quite acidic with a welcome zing which wakes up the palate. 

With a very balanced sweetness, it is obvious this one is a little different to many of the mainstream/commercially produced ciders on the Australian market. That said I am unaware of it being available for sale here - yet.

I really like the name of this cider and its bottle design - it is fresh and modern, not to mention the fact that it comes in a 500ml bottle which is perfect for sharing. Pete really liked this cider - he likened it to Fog City.

I purchased this one on the South Island of New Zealand and it retails for approximately $7.50 NZD per 500ml bottle.

Tell me, have you ever had a bottle smash in your luggage when travelling?