Heritage Fruit Trees 297 Back Raglan Road, Beaufort Victoria, Australia 3373 ABN 30 006 681 590 A tour of apple orchards in France and England has led to the discovery of 15 ‘new’ cider apple varieties in Australia.NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) technical officer, David Pickering, said the study tour was supported by Horticulture Australia Ltd to confirm the identity of what appeared to be cider apple varieties in Australian collections. Many of these deserve a place in a well-rounded cider orchard. When I had a glass of the 18 Varieties Apple Cider at the Australian Cider Awards last year, my first impression was it doesn’t taste like a Willie Smith’s. Cider Apple Varieties in Australia AMERE DOUCE AMERE DOUCE ACIDULEE AIGRE AIGRE AMERE Sweet Bittersweet Sharp Bittersharp Acidity (meq/L) Polyphenols (g/L acid tannin) 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Cider Classification Bittersharp Stoke Red Breakwell’s Seedling Kingston Black Foxwhelp Improved Foxwhelp. It doesn’t have that trademark dusty flavour. I told Sam Reid (Managing Director of … A number of organisations in Australia provide information and other resources on growing apples and pears and cider apple varieties, including Apple and Pear Australia and CiderOz. While cider apples are relatively rare in Australia, more local growers are introducing them to their orchards. Cider Apple Varieties in Australia Bittersweet Sweet Bitter Bittersharp Sharp Eggleton Styre Sweet Sweet Alford Sugar Loaf Pippin Tremletts Bitter de Boutteville Frequin Rouge Stoke Red Breakwell’s Seedling Kingston Black Foxwhelp Improved Foxwhelp Browns Apple … Cider apple varieties include the Kingston Black (left) and Michelin (right): grown and photographed by Borry Gartrell Any cider apple should ideally have high levels of sugar for fermentation, so the difference between them is in their levels of tannin and acidity. The flesh of this apple is firm, crisp, and juicy with a mild sweet flavor, producing a sweet, amber, fragrant that is useful to enhance apple aroma in cider. Typically tart and tannic, they’re almost inedible in their natural form. Final Thoughts on Willie Smith’s 18 Varieties Apple Cider. GRANNY SMITH |1860s| This well-know tart green apple is hard with crisp, juicy flesh and originates in Australia. Below are examples of the varieties that are used in all of our blends. Some varieties, called vintage cider varieties, combine the principle taste components in a balanced way. Also known as Black Taunton, the Kingston Black cider apple was a popular cider apple in Somersetshire, and is perhaps the most well known of all cider apples available today in Australia. To produce a flavorful cider, the pressed apples must contain a balance of sugar, acid, tannin and aroma. Other cider varieties may be stronger in some taste components than others and are used in blends to create ciders with just the right balance of sweetness, acid and tannin. Specific apple varieties – known as cider apples – are ideal for cider making thanks to their sugar, tannin and acid content. The most common variety of cider apple is the bittersweet, with good tannin and low acidity. This variety was introduced into Herefordshire c.1820 by Mr Palmer of Bollitree Estate, Weston-under-Penyard near Ross-on-Wye.