Stable Cider Awards Tasting

Ten ciders, plenty of opinions and a very good evening on Poole Quay.

Please note: The Stable Cider Awards Tasting featured in this post is a historical event and is no longer running. Since this visit, Fuller’s sold The Stable brand to another operating company, so the event and details mentioned below may no longer apply. The Stable Poole site has also since shut down. This post has been kept as part of the Gin & Coast archives to share my experience from the time.

Monday 24th June was all about cider, and if there’s one event, I’m always up for, it’s the Stable Cider Awards.

The Stable on Poole Quay has always been one of my favourite branches, so after going along to the awards the year before, there was no way I was missing out this time around. There was a little difference this year though. Instead of one big event, each Stable branch was holding its own Stable Cider Awards Tasting evening.

I arrived around 5.30pm and, at first, I was the only one in the bar. It was a gorgeous evening, though, and the Quay was already full of people wandering past enjoying the sunshine. Beth and Bryony were on shift and gave me a lovely welcome before we headed upstairs to the restaurant area where the tasting was being held.

Ten Ciders, One Cider Master

There were four of us taking part, me, Jackie, James and Abi, and we all had completely different tastes when it came to cider, which made the evening even more interesting. There was another table taking part too, so there were plenty of opinions flying around.

Beth was our cider master for the evening and talked us through each of the ten ciders, answering all our questions along the way. She also pointed out that because all the ciders were made using 100% apple juice, we were basically drinking one of our five-a-day. I mean… I’m sure that’s how it works.

We were given what I can only describe as a gentleman’s inch of each cider, roughly half a small glass (or perhaps just a tiny bit more), which meant we could work our way through all ten without falling off our chairs.

The Ciders

1. Cockeyed – Mad Jack, 5% – A West Country cider that was cloudy in appearance and smelled quite different to how it tasted. For me, it was very much like drinking apple juice, with a subtle cider taste coming through at the end. It was dangerously easy to drink. I could quite happily imagine sitting there drinking this all evening without realising just how much I’d had.
2. Bumble Bee Hard Cider – 4.5% – Made using British apples from Somerset. This one had quite a smoky flavour, and unfortunately it wasn’t really for me. If you’re a fan of smoky whisky flavours, though, this could be much more up your street.
3. Hallets PX – A West Country cider made in Wales using sherry casks. This one had a lovely wine-like smell and you could definitely pick up those wine notes alongside the cider. A really interesting one and definitely different from your standard cider.
4. Night Bird Cider – Nightingales, 4.9% – Made using Kentish apples. This one immediately reminded me of apple pie. It was a sweeter cider and definitely one for anyone who likes something on the fruity side.
5. Silly Moo – A cloudy Sussex cider with a name that definitely made us giggle. It’s basically impossible to say “Silly Moo” without making a cow joke, isn’t it?
6. Dudda’s Good Tun Cider – Apricot, 4% – Made in Kent, this one combines fresh apricot juice with traditional apple cider-making. It was really fresh and fruity, but still had that cider base running through it. A more modern take on cider and another interesting one to try.
7. No.8 Rhubarb Cider – Crafty Nectar – A West Country cider and the second one we’d tried from Crafty Nectar. Anyone who knows me knows I love anything rhubarb, so I was always going to enjoy this one. This would be absolutely perfect on tap on a hot summer’s day.
8. Ramdon Perry – This one wasn’t actually a cider, but a perry from Luxembourg. It was made using pears and came with an interesting story about the surrounding area and its old Aspen trees. I used to drink quite a lot of perry, although these days I definitely find myself reaching for a traditional cider more often.
9. Murmuration – Pilton – A keeved cider made using American-style apples. This was light, crisp and bubbly, making it another really easy-drinking option.
10. Gospel Green – 8.2% – And then we got to the big one. Gospel Green is a champagne-style cider, made using a method similar to Champagne and served in champagne flutes. At 8.2%, this one definitely packed more of a punch than some of the others. It felt like a special-occasion cider and was probably one I’d save for a celebration rather than an afternoon in the sunshine.

My Top Three

After tasting all ten, we had to choose our top three. Mine were:

1. Cockeyed
2. Gospel Green
3. No.8 Rhubarb Cider

We even had three voting cards to fill in, which made the whole thing feel properly official.

One thing I also learnt was that cider is normally served cellar cool at around 10°C. Beth also explained that at The Stable they don’t tend to describe ciders simply as sweet, medium or dry because everyone’s idea of those descriptions can be completely different. I actually thought that was a really good way of looking at it. Taste is personal, after all.

And Then Came the Food…

Of course, after ten ciders, food was definitely required. I went for The King Crabber pizza, which came with crab, mozzarella, garlic aioli and chilli on a sourdough base. And yes… it was as good as it sounds. It has now become one of my favourite pizzas at The Stable, alongside the Blazing Saddle. The pizzas here really are a 10/10 for me.

Would I Go Back?

Absolutely. The Stable on Poole Quay was always one of those places I’d recommend whether you’re visiting Dorset or lucky enough to live here. Good cider, good food, great views and plenty of opportunity to discover something new.

Although the Cider Awards Tasting featured in this post is no longer running, I’m glad I got to experience it — especially as it was such a fun evening and a great way to try ciders I’d probably never have picked up myself.

And that’s exactly what I love about these sorts of events. You go in thinking you know what you like and come away with a few new favourites.