Michael O’Callaghan had a vision. He wanted to create an apple brandy, a product similar to French Calvados. The only one in Ireland. So, in 1985 he planted a cider apple orchard on his farm on the banks of the River Blackwater in Mallow, County Cork. Nowadays his son William leads the business. Not only he continues his father’s legacy, but he also expanded the product range to naturally-made cider. O’Callaghan’s cider, which is sold as Longueville House Cider, is produced on the farm by the cider maker Dan Duggan.
Company: Longueville House
Place of Origin: Mallow, Cork, Ireland
Apples: a blend of Michelin and Dabinett varieties
Sweetness as per label: medium dry
ABV: 5%
Package type: 500ml brown glass with crown cap
Recommended type of glass: pint glass, white wine glass or snifter
Appearance: pours a lightly cloudy amber with orange hues and a short-lived head. Medium carbonated. Body is medium.
Aroma/Nose: the nose is rich and has notes of barnyard, lemon, both red apple skin and red sour apples. I can also get a very distant vinegary flavour. Very pleasant and inviting aroma.
Taste: it starts with a pleasant light sweetness and a moderate acidity with a lemon touch. Then a taste of fermented red apples, some barnyard, smoky cheese and a distant solvent-like note appear followed by a very light watery flavour, notes of wood and a moderate to high mouth-puckering astringency. The finish is dry with a lingering astringency, a flavour of wood and a gentle bitter touch.
Overall: Longueville House Cider simply tastes excellent! Spectacular! It’s the first Irish cider I truly enjoyed. It’s beautifully balanced with lots of depth and rich flavours complementing each other. This cider will simply appeal to everyone. Not too sweet, not too dry, not too sour and not too funky. It looks like the list of my favourite ciders has just expanded. Indeed, Longueville House Cider is one of Ireland’s best ciders. Bravo! I’m gonna order some more once I gain more room in the cellar. 5.5/6
Availability: locally in Ireland in a number of restaurants/pubs/shops such as Joyce’s Supermarkets, O’Briens Wines or Super Valu Store. Online in Ireland from Ardkeen Quality Food Store, and in the Netherlands (and other European countries upon request) from Ciderwinkel.
Price: purchased online at 5.95 EUR from Ciderwinkel
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