Aspalls Clements four cyder review (8.75/10) – “Overall, not an especially unique drink. Natural, tangy and fruity though”.
The Good
“Strong branding colours”.
“Good backstory”.
“Practical”.
“Natural and fruity taste”.
“Natural, persistent aftertaste”.
“Pleasant natural scent”.
“Light carbonation as expected”.
“No dryness as expected”.
“Smooth taste and aftertaste”.
“Perfect medium mouthfeel”.
“Full flavoured”.
The Bad
“Unbalanced”.
“Lacking sweetness”.
“No woodiness or character”.
“Tang overpowering”.
“Expensive”.
Packaging
When a traditional company brings out a drink with brand new colour label and backstory, it becomes an impulse to find out all I can before I test it.
Clements four was no exception …
Sitting at 4%ABV, undercutting all those other Aspalls ciders in strength, this orange labelled extravagance, draws in your attention. This low percentage doesn’t sound immediately exciting, but I was curious to how it allows your perception of it’s sensory properties to be enhanced, without the bubbly haze of fading sobriety.
It sits alongside the 7% Blue, 7% Green, and 5.5% Red Aspalls counterparts. In my mind, these 3 are the mainstream offerings of Aspalls’ range, despite being far from an exhaustive list.
With est. 1728 as per usual being specified, we would expect this offering to live up to it’s long running bloodline.
“Clement Chevallier was the founder of Aspalls in 1728. He brought the skill of blending cider apples to England from Jersey “, according to the bottle.
Clement inherited Aspall hall, after the owner (his uncle Temple), died in 1722. Uncle Temple had come from Jersey, which is also the recorded birthplace of Clement himself.
This bottle backstory seems fitting to the history of Aspalls, and gives a clear indication of what makes it unique ; Presumably this Jersey influence in the apples selected. I therefore like the branding and backstory here, as it seems distinctive, from the rest of the range.
This backstory is followed by some assertions for taste. These include smooth, fruity, woody and “pleasant smell”.
Let’s hope for a natural tasting, sweet and fruity, moist cider, which possesses woody character. For carbonation and acidity, we can only look at other drinks from the range. The closest strength example (Draught) “red label”, was lightly carbonated, had a punchy tang and medium mouthfeel; This completes our expectations here.
It’s 4% ABV, provides 2 units per 500ml bottle. 2 would therefore be required. At £2 per bottle from Tesco, this allows a total spend of £4 to meet the top end of the governments recommended daily limit. Since it fits into this well, things are fairly practical, despite being more expensive than many other Aspalls. These include Aspalls draught (£3.80), Aspalls organic (£1.80), and Aspalls premier cru (£1.90).
Smell
A light and natural, yet subtle scent, left the bottle in a cloud. The smell was pleasant as promised, yet was quick to fade. It was highly smooth and delicate.
Taste
The taste began very tangy. A natural fruity tang, which resembled sharp apple. This provided an aftertaste from the first sip, showing a full-flavoured confidence instantly. Mouthfeel wasn’t watery, yet certainly not thick or syrupy, leading me to assume the medium mouthfeel suggested. This was ideal for the depth of flavour supplied.
Carbonation was light as promised, and didn’t dominate the tang. Dryness was absent as expected, due to its lack of mention on the bottle. Further sips provided the same tangy sensation, overpowering any sweetness, leaving the drink smooth, yet unbalanced.
As for wood, this was impossible to detect, probably due to the dominant tang.
Summary
Overall, not an especially unique drink. Natural, tangy, and fruity though.
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Our other Aspalls reviews
Aspalls imperial vintage review https://reasea.org/2018/11/25/aspalls-imperial-vintage-7-5-10-bitter-dryness-overshadowing-some-developing-character/
Aspalls premier cru review https://reasea.org/2018/08/20/aspalls-premier-cru-cyder-review-full-bodied-well-balanced-and-fruity-a-little-pricey-and-dryness-sparse-though-9-25-10/
Aspalls draught cyder review https://reasea.org/2018/05/18/aspall-suffolk-draught-cyder-red-label-review-great-acidity-and-mouthfeel-but-lacking-in-dryness-value-or-anything-unique-7-5-10/
Sources
#85 Aspalls Premier Cru Cyder review ” Full-bodied, well balanced, and fruity. A little pricey and dryness sparse though ” – (9.25/10).
Our Farm
https://family-tree.cobboldfht.com/people/view/1330
https://www.aspall.co.uk/our-story/place/aspall-hall
Tags:
Uncle Temple, Clement, Chevallier, Aspalls, Clements four, Temple Chevallier, Temple, est 1728, 1722, suffolk cyder, mid Suffolk, 4% ABV, 500ml, Jersey, Channel Islands, English Channel, isle of Jersey, Tesco, Aspall hall, reaseaorg, cyder, cider reviews, reasonedandseasoned
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