Charlie Harvey

Review — Thatchers Katy Cider

Thatchers Katy Cider At The Gardeners Arms, Oxford

Thatchers Katy Cider Bottle and Pint in Sunlight In Gardeners Arms Pub Oxford

We headed up to Jericho, via Cuckoo Lane last Sunday. The weather started out springlike but grey and got better by the time we'd walked to the Gardeners. The sun was shining like some celestial interrogation device when we got there as you can see from the pic. Now, I am a massive fan of the Gardeners Arms. A pub that does veggie and vegan food, decent ales and ciders and even has a selection of early nineties indie record covers on the wall. Carter's 30something, Nirvana's Bleach. Pretty awesome.

Katy is a cider that I first came across some time ago; I had a stash of Katy and Cox's at the Glastonbury festival one time back when you could get in for free or go to a car park rave and have a much better time. Its a proper corker of a cider if you like the lighter softer stuff rather than the scrumpy. Think Aspalls and you're on your way.

Thatchers have brewed up a single variety cider with the awesome lovely Katy apple. Katys are fragrant, refreshing and a bit tangy. So you can see where they were going with using 'em.

The cider itself is more orange than Aspalls (not as much as Keanes Premium) and is on the fizzy side. It comes in a straightforward, slightly wine-like green bottle with a nicely illustrated apple and not too much fuss design wise. This I consider a good thing.

Its medium dry, though I found it slightly on the sweet side. Nose is all about apples, made me think of being on a picnic and crunching down on a Granny Smith. Tangy, refreshing, actually pretty much what you'd expect if you'd eaten a Katy apple! Now, this stuff is on the strong side at 7.4% ABV, but you're not going to realise what with all that zing they’ve got going on. Cos its sharp. Sharp in a really, really good way. And light. If cider was grapefruit juice then it might be something like Thatchers Katy. I ate a vegan chilli hotdog and I must say the Katy was a spectacular accompaniement.

There's 3.7 units in a bottle. So more than the recommended allowance for a woman, and near the amount for a man! But, dear readers, I bravely risked the wrath of the chief scientist or drinkaware or whoever it is that gets angry about this stuff and had a second bottle. So, by the time we left I was pleasantly lightheaded and perhaps somewhat giggly. Both of these facts made me feel very happy indeed. Next, we went to Port Meadow and befriended a pregnant horse and then walked home at sunset. The perfect way to enjoy one's mild inebriation or that is how it seemed to me.

2011-03-17 by Charlie Harvey


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