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    Sunday 19 August 2007

    Tonight, I Have Been Drinking Crap Cider


    Yes, I've just drank a bottle of Magners Original Irish Cider, and I didn't have it over ice. I'm not sure if the pixies might come and take me away, or if i might even be arrested, but I thought I would try it without any added frozen water. It was very very cold anyway and, as can be seen from the picture quite orange in colour. I was lucky to find one of the smaller bottles (330ml) on sale for £1. Can you believe this goes for nearly £3 for a 500ml bottle in pubs round here. Apart from its orangeness, the first thing that strikes you is the smell. Gosh it's artificial and bloody sweet. For every gram of apple there must be ten grams of chemicals. It's really offensive to the nose. I have to admit though that it gets better from then. Although the taste is sweet and it's heavily carbonated it's not too bad. It's quite smooth, no nasty harsh flavours at all, and the fruitiness is quite acceptable. In short, it's safe. It's a bit lowest common denominator, and I can see why it has such widespread appeal. Hell I might even be encouraged to drink this again on a very hot day, for it is refreshing.

    Apparently sales have decreased quite a lot this year. The horrendous weather has been blamed, and I can believe that would have had some effect, but I also think the "over ice cider" phenomenon was always likely to take a step backwards in much the same way alcopops did. I wonder what will be the next big thing?

    3 comments:

    The Beer Nut said...

    Oh dear God. I commend your bravery. Once, several years ago, I was taken in by the advertising of Bulmer's (as it's called here in the country that spawned it) and ordered a pint on a hot sunny day. Christ it's awful. The overriding taste burned into my mind is sulphur. Vulcanised rubber, to be precise.

    I'd love to say that Magner's is our revenge for Cromwell, but no amount of fire-and-the-sword could justify this horror.

    Have some Harp lager instead...

    Ron Combo said...

    Knowing a chap who works in the business, I asked him how C&C had coped with the explosive growth in sales, I mean where did all these apples come from? He said that they sent buyers around all the English orchards with a blank chequebook (after they had exhausted the Irish ones) and then when they were cleaned out bought tankers-full of apple concentrate from eastern Europe.

    Mark Edwards said...

    Ron, I am not supreised it's full of apple concntrate. Compared to a good farmhouse English or Welsh cider it just tastes so different. So artificial!