A style of cider and perry I come back to again and again in the 750ml bottle format is “Table”. In the context of cider and perry, this could be a single variety, a dual blend, or an orchard blend, but one that is easy going, accessible, and good to have at the table to pair with food and conversation. I don’t think % abv comes into it too much, I’ve seen some that are relatively low abvs, whilst others push much closer to the 8.4% threshold, where anything above becomes a made wine and thus, a bigger tax cow to milk of its duty revenues (this will be my only milk and cider metaphor of the article, I promise). Adam covered a few Table Ciders back in his 2020 article, so with five years under the belt, and a whole lot more cider and perry classifying itself as Table, I thought now was the perfect time to revisit some newer vintages, and to delve into what they offer from a sensory perspective.

If I see a bottle labelled as Table Cider (or perry) will I exclusively have it with a meal, or bring it along to a gathering that includes a table to sit around? No. The premise is sound, I’m bought into the ethos behind it absolutely, but I’m just as likely to try it out on the balcony after work (admittedly on a table) or poured from the bottle if I’m lucky enough to find a bar like Hereford Beer House, That Beer Place, or The London Cider House. If I’m to imbibe in a boozy tipple with food, it will probably be a cider or perry these days, but that’s just as likely to be from a can, BIB, or bottle labelled for its variety or orchard origin. For the purpose of this review however, I’ll try my best to consider what each drink would pair well with from a culinary perspective too.

All I can add before we get going is the Table-style bottles I’ve consistently gone back to over the last 5 years have had a generous price point for their 750ml of precious liquid inside. Little Pomona’s Table Cider and Table Perry I buy every year, have sent bottles as presents to friends and family, it never fails to disappoint as an entry level bottle to folk that may not have tried a cider or perry presented in this large format bottle style before. In the case of Wilding, I discovered their Table Perry last year, and when reading the list of varietals on the label, some super rare perry pears go into this bottling, I couldn’t resist adding one or two to my subsequent orders with Cat In The Glass (where I sourced all the bottles for this review from). This perry definitely exhibits that clumpy, tannin mass at the bottom of the bottle, but… that’s what some of these varieties are known to do, it’s what we have grown to expect as we familiarise ourselves with the special qualities these perry pears showcase. If you pour carefully, leaving the final tenth of the liquid at the bottom, you’d never know it was in there anyhow. Needless to say, every drinks category needs its entry level offerings on the market, and for 750ml presentation styles, I don’t think you can go far wrong with a good Table Cider or Perry. Onto the reviews at hand!

Wilding, Table Perry 2021 – review

A blend of Judge Amphlett, Blakeney Red, White Longdon, Taunton Squash, Hellens Green, Barnett, Pine, Pint, Moorcroft, Oldfield, Yellow Huffcap.

How I served: A day in the fridge and then 20 mins out on the balcony to find its mojo in these lovely warm spring evenings.

Appearance: Hazy peachy hue, a light hiss as I popped the cap, but near still. No mousse.

On the nose: Glorious aroma of lime rind, dried mango, thyme, borage, and sage, a real dance of tropical meets herbal.

On the palate: Good amount of residual sugar, perhaps in the form of sorbitol, left even after a 2021 season and an abv of 6.4%. Fermentation has stopped and it’s happy keeping this sweetness around. Super mild astringency on the side of my mouth. That aroma interplay of tropical meets herbal continues on the palate. I’m trying to think where I’ve had it before…maybe a herby pizza that gets a bit of pineapple on top? It’s very unique to the modern palate, all the more reason to seek out this perry.

In a nutshell: I’m going to go out on a limb and say enjoy this luscious Table Perry with a really tasty, heavily laden pizza. I think it’ll complement the flavours perfectly. One hell of an orchard blend perry at play here from Wilding!

Little Pomona, Table Perry – review

A blend of Green Horse (50%), Hendre Huffcap, Winnals Longdon, Blakeney Red, and others.

How I served: A day in the fridge, half an hour out.

Appearance: Straw hole, good clarity, tiny effervescence and a little bit of a mousse.

On the nose: A whiff of Hendre Huffcap perhaps? Lemon meringue pie meets key lime pie. An evocative, creamy lemon aroma.

On the palate: A perry on the more acidic slant of the spectrum for sure. It’s a pink grapefruit and lime explosion. No perceptible tannin to this one. 6.9% abv carries all that lovely flavour along with it on every sip. Is this a Thorn and friends party I wonder? Hints of quince too. (This was tasted before I had the blend info – turns out I was on the money for the Hendre Huffcap influence, but it was cheeky ol’ Green Horse, which I don’t have too much experience with, bringing the acidity to the party).

In a nutshell: Absolutely a table perry for Fish & Chips, this would pair so brilliantly with the Friday staple of the weekly meal calendar.

Little Pomona, Table Cider – review

A blend of Somerset Redstreak (50%), Egremont Russet (30%), and Dabinett (20%)

How I served: Day in the fridge then 20 mins in the sitting room to settle towards cellar temperature.

Appearance: Hazy, apricot jam, August sunsets. Light effervescence with a mousse which sat around a good 2 or 3 minutes.

On the nose: It may have the smallest constituent part to the blend, but I’m getting mostly Dabinett’s orange marmalade aroma here. A bit of the Little Pomona’s house style scent too, which is always pleasant to discover wafting from a glass. As it opens up, a hint of pan-seared apricot. A very early Autumn orchard nose, when the days are still filled with sunshine but the orchard is beginning to take on a slightly damper, more melancholy leaning.

On the palate: There’s absolutely a carton of apricot or mango juice vibe going on, one with the sugar levels dialled right down though. A sensation of mulling spices at the back of each sip, further amplifying that Autumnal quality. Brought together, the three varieties are giving off the delicious characteristics that Yarlington Mill usually gives from a single variety. The 6.8% abv feels perfect for this Table Cider – could see it going really well with roast pork, or a pitta bread and humous dippy affair.

In a nutshell: Playful, fun, and juicy! A great cider to get people into the concept of drinking from a 750ml bottle.

Gregg’s Pit, Browns & Kingston Black 2023 – review

How I served: Day in the fridge then straight out as an accompaniment with fish & chips! Perfection.

Appearance: Lemon gold, great clarity, light effervescence, no real mousse. Golden syrup shimmer.

On the nose: With this combo of a sharp (Browns) and a bittersharp apple (Kingston Black), it’s a rich malic acid aroma rising from the glass. Slightly grassy, hawthorn hedgerow aroma.

On the palate: That malic acid nose could be any apple, but it’s not until you take a sip that the familiarity with Browns in-particular comes to the fore. I love this apple! So much raspberry fruit and raspberry leaf notes here to unpick. It’s a dry cider for sure, but there’s a rich, Mcvitie’s Gold bar note to it. Vanilla and caramel notes under the acidity. The finish is fairly swift on each sip, but what a wonderful pairing with fish and chips: at 6% abv, it cuts through the fatty, greasy, battered scraps tastiness expertly.

In a nutshell: Higher acid ciders to pair with fish & chips everytime from here on in! An elegant table cider.

Wilding, Commix 2022 – review

A blend of Yarlington Mill, Dove, Browns, Bisquet, Chisel Jersey, Sweet Coppin, and Ellis Bitter.

How I served: Day in the fridge, 20 mins warming up till its cellar temperature.

Appearance: Hazy orange marmalade, near still, the thinnest mousse possible before you would say no mousse.

On the nose: Full on apple crumble explosion aroma! Suggestions of Demerara sugar, oats, and baked apple. Incredibly inviting. Oh go on then!

On the palate: Residual sugar I was not expecting, this is way more medium dry than dry. With so many different varieties here, I can’t pick an individual one out, it’s just a juicy, well made, orchard blend, that I could see really appealing to a wide audience. Bit sherberty as it opens up in the glass, going towards a haribo fantastic direction. If I was going to pair this with a food I’d veer for the dessert end of the menu, the cheeseboard, the crumble, perhaps even…the tiramisu! I think it would work well.

In a nutshell: Sun’s out, Commix is out! You and your friends will love this one.

Wilding, Commix 2021 – review

A blend of Dove, Yarlington Mill, Chisel Jersey, and Browns.

How I served: Day in the fridge, then 10 minutes out in the balcony.

Appearance: A much more clarified affair than the 2022 vintage. Light effervescence with a thin mousse which is happy resting on the top of the glass for a few minutes after pouring. Copper coloured cider, the hue that would lead someone at a drinks festival to say “ahh, now that’s proper cider” when you served it to them.

On the nose: Orange rind, roof slates, cloves, knapped flint, stewed apple, both savoury and sweet (which I love in a drink).

On the palate: This orchard blend plays perfectly to the approachable tune set by Wilding, bassy with a few high notes. With three bittersweet cider apples of Somerset origin (Dove, Yarlington Mill, and Chisel Jersey) alongside one sharp cider apple of Devonshire origin (Browns). Great mouthfeel from those medium-soft tannins. Although this has less varietals than its 2022 counterpart, I think it may just be a more competent table cider. I need to try more single variety Dove ciders, all the books say it’s very susceptible to canker to isn’t as widely grown anymore. All the more reason to seek it out! 6.2% abv , so another cider that carries its flavour well across the alcohol to your palate. I’m having it with fish pie tonight, so will report back how that goes. (It went perfectly).

In a nutshell: Table cider with a bit more tannic backbone and complexity than you’re usually going to find. A snapshot of Somerset in table cider form.

Wilding, Commix 2020 – review

A blend of Dabinett (30%), Stoke Red (43%) and Sweet Coppin (24%)

How I served: Day in the fridge, rather a glum day at that with constant rain, then fireside to warm up to cellar temperature.

Appearance: Golden fire hue, great clarity, good level of effervescence (the most of the three vintage Commix tried here), a wee little mousse jet in the centre of the glass where the bubbles keep rising to.

On the nose: Parma Violets and apple crumble, that’s a really appealing aroma right there! It’s got a hint of salinity to it – like breathing in the petrichor of coastal air deeply after a rainstorm.

On the palate: Chalky soft tannins give way to a really balanced mouthfeel as the malic acid of the Stoke Red makes itself know. This trio of bittersweet, bittersharp, and sweet cider apples are working in harmony. It’s the least Dabinetty a drink that features this particular fabled cider apple and names it on the label. I’d need to try a bit more Sweet Coppin on its own before I could say what it’s doing to the blend, but I suspect smoothing things out across the edges. At 5.9% abv, a soft presentation table cider I could see working really well with tacos or a big tasty burrito.

In a nutshell: Still tasting great after these past few years in bottle! Head down to a Mexican restaurant and demand they add it to the menu.

Coddiwomple, Table Cider 2022 – review

A blend of Tremletts Bitter, Browns, Harry Masters Jersey, Michelin and Improved Dove.

How I served: Day in the fridge, 20 minutes out.

Appearance: Apricot jam meets orange marmalade in a conserve-off! Very light effervescence, hardly any mousse, slight haze. It gives off a brassy shine from the glass.

On the nose: I think this is still a bit too cool for my first impressions, being quite a tannic forward table cider. Right now I’m getting a very subdued, woollen jumper kind of nose, not particularly fruity or alive. I’ll let this warm up a bit longer than the 20minutes so far […] A bit of time has passed, I’d honestly say this smells like fresh russet apple skin, maybe when the fruit is still on the tree. Very appealing indeed, making me long for Autumn again!

On the palate: This is reminding me a bit of Pilton’s Road Trip 2020 and it’s that Tremletts Bitter influence for sure. Perhaps the mouth-coating tannins you get from this variety? It’s a very similar (and pleasant) drinking experience. Adding HMJ to Tremletts Bitter in a blend is a bold move, perhaps one tempered by the Browns, Michelin and Improved Dove? I LOVE that the label tells you when the trees were planted in the orchard: “1973 to 1976 on Somerset clay loam soils.” As this is skewing in such a tannic direction, I’m going to lean into what I know from Ross Cider release and say that this would pair excellently with steak, and for the vegetarian option, a teriyaki seitan steak.

In a nutshell: A bold and brilliant blend for a table cider! Keep an eye out for more from Coddiwomple Cider.

Conclusions

I’d skew towards having cider and perry with food regardless of the name Table Cider/Table Perry attached, but it was an interesting reviewing challenge to envisage the pairings that would go with these bottles. For some producers like Coddiwomple, I’ve tried two vintages so far, Aeble had them for sale before I saw this one pop up on Cat In The Glass, and it seems to be all they produce. For other producers like Little Pomona, Gregg’s Pitt, and Wilding, the Table releases are part of a much wider portfolio of annual releases in 750ml bottle format. It will certainly be interesting to see if Codiwomple remain exclusively a Table Cider company, or if other bottles of theirs appear on the market in the months to come. If you’re looking for a route into Little Pomona or Wilding, you cannot go wrong with the Table/Commix releases: great price point, great liquid inside. The rest of their range only goes up in price from here due to production style and rarity of the fruit, as starting points therefore, these are no brainers!

My next mission is to find some of these on the drinks menu at a restaurant or two. I went to a brilliant fish restaurant last August Bank Holiday weekend called Wells Crab House, on the North Norfolk coast. It had Whin Hill’s dry sparkling cider in bottle, and what a refreshing difference it was to see someone other than the macro producers on a drinks menu in a place like that. I’d like to think that with all the great work Fine Cider Company are doing around London, a few more places will have Wilding’s Table Perry and Comix on their menus. I see the Tate Modern has a tap dedicated to Oliver’s Cider now in its ground floor restaurant, what a great location to show off Herefordshire’s finest! If the cadence for a review of Table Cider and Perry is roughly every 5 years, I look forward to seeing who will review the next batch in half a decade’s time!