Our Cider Products
Robinsons Fine Dry Vintage Cider, Flagon and Premium Medium Cider.Robinsons Cider only produces limited amounts of premium quality cider each year.
To keep control of what’s going on and to maintain standards we make only three products, two bottled ciders for retail outlets and the other one, Robinsons Flagon Cider for on premise consumption.
When you taste any of Robinsons Ciders you can tell we’ve thought hard about what we wanted to do and that we make it with great care. Robinsons Cider is just…well…different. If you drink it already you’ll already know, if you don’t you have an interesting experience in store!
These three Robinsons ciders are quite different to one another, very distinctive in character. We only use traditional cider apple varieties, no cookers, no eaters.
Robinsons Orchard Reserve Cider, formerly Premium Medium, (4.5%) is only available in bottles, not on draught.
We are pleased to introduce our Orchard Reserve Cider (formerly Premium Medium). This is the same product as Premium Medium, made from the same orchards in the same way, but a new vintage and with a bit of a makeover.
The Robinsons bring traditional cider apple varieties from trees in local orchards that have neither been sprayed nor otherwise adulterated; we sort and wash them by hand in the press shed on the farm so that only the cleanest and healthiest go forward to the mill; we wrap the milled apples in press cloths, fold them into parcels by hand in the traditional way and arrange them on hand-made ash-wood racks; we lift one rack on top of the next until they are ready to go under our family heirloom cider press; we squeeze them gently but firmly so that only the first and best juice flows from them; we capture that delicious juice and ensure that only Robinsons fine quality, selected yeast is allowed to bring about the fermentation.
Late in the cycle we chill it to halt the fermentation process so that it is sweetened with nothing but its own natural sugars… THEN we have Robinsons delicious “Orchard Reserve” Vintage Cider.
Using 2lbs of cider apples for every bottle and with meticulous attention to detail, we do all this here on the farm, then we filter, bottle and pasteurise it to prevent any further fermentation… so all you have to do is chill and enjoy it.
Robinsons Fine Dry Vintage Cider (6% Alc) is only available in bottles, not on draught.
It is clear and golden and effervescent and comes in half litre amber glass bottles to protect it from the light. The taste and aroma are exceptional, a fusion of authentic country flavour and real finesse. It is racked more frequently than the norm, it matures longer and is made only from the juice that the apples release in the first two thirds of a full pressing cycle. It takes about two pounds of hand sorted traditional cider apples to make every bottle of Robinsons Fine Dry Vintage Cider.
The flavour is complex and challenging and in addition to cider drinkers it really appeals to wine drinkers and food enthusiasts. As well as being very good to drink on its own, chilled at the end of a hard day, or with the usual things (roast pork, bread and cheese, BBQ’s, proper sausages, white pudding and so forth) it is also surprisingly good with shell fish and with sea food of all kinds.
You might think that artisan makers wouldn’t like their cider being used as an ingredient but try steaming some mussels or cooking a ham in it or adding it to a sauce and you’ll see why they’d be wrong.
We don’t sell to national chains, only online and to independent retailers with an eye for the unusual and excellent. Look at our Stockists page to see where you can buy it or you can order it direct from our Home Delivery Page.
Robinsons Flagon Cider (4.5% Alc) is only available on draught, not in bottles.
The quality and flavour of Robinsons Flagon Cider is truly remarkable and many people say it’s the best draught cider they have ever tasted. We only use traditional cider apple varieties like Foxwhelp, Tom Putt and Brown Snout. We use no cooking or eating apples.
This is on the medium end of the dry cider spectrum and is distinctively (and variably) hazy rather than filtered to clarity. We feel that keeps it “closer to the apple” than commercially produced draught ciders. It’s a revival of the traditional style of cider we used to enjoy prior to the development of today’s national brands. It’s gently sparkling rather than gassy because we believe that makes it easier to drink and lets you taste the superb apple flavour.
You can only find Robinsons Flagon Cider in selected independent Free Houses, cafe bars and restaurants. We don’t sell to national chains.
The pubs and bars that stock Robinsons Flagon Cider are all independently run enterprises rather than national companies. We’re happier dealing with other independent business people who usually have a very warm relationship with Robinsons and with Robinsons Cider. As someone said, it’s like being in a club. These are tough businesses to run and Robinsons help by providing a real premium product which differentiates them locally; by giving them excellent service and something people can only drink by visiting the pub. Robinsons Flagon Cider isn’t available in bottles or tins, just on draught at the pub.
Our on-bar pottery flagons are made locally by Wenlock Pottery.