IWSC announces the results from its 2023 judging of 100% fresh pressed cider, perry & fruit wine
Following our judging last week, we are delighted to announce the medal results for this emerging category.
The 2023 judging marked the third year of our 100% Fresh Pressed Cider, Perry and Fruit Wine Awards, launched in partnership with Cider Is Wine. This year we saw almost 60% growth in the number of entries, attesting to the bright future of this category. Our international judging team included industry-leading buyers, sommeliers and cider experts: Alistair Morrell, Freddy Bulmer, Adam Wells and Vincenzo Arnese.
The judges appreciated the step up in quality of this year’s entries. A total of 48 medals have been awarded, with 6 golds, 12 silvers and 30 bronze medals. The panel tasted various cider styles, such as bottle-fermented ciders, carbonated ciders, cider Pet-Nats, still ciders, flavoured ciders, keeved ciders, ice ciders; as well as perries and fruit wines.
For the third year running, the ice ciders stole the show, earning 4 gold medals, with one particularly brilliant entry - Lodowa Beczka 2017 by Cydr Chyliczki Krenke Kowalczyk, Poland – scoring as high as 98 points and winning our Cider Trophy. The judges praised its “intense and mature nose with lots of honeyed, caramel and spiced notes” as well as its well-balanced palate with complex layers of flavours. Additionally, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal have been awarded to ice ciders.
Our judges also highlighted the quality of this year’s still cider entries, awarding a gold medal and a stellar score of 96 points to one still cider - Medium 1 Oz Cider 2020 by Broughton Bank Perry & Cider, UK. The panel was impressed with its purity of fruit and appealing juiciness. In addition, 3 silver medals have been awarded to still ciders.
Bottle-fermented ciders also showed strong results: 3 silvers and 10 bronze medals were awarded.
With 2 silver medals and 3 bronze awards received by perries, the judges said that the standard is being raised in this challenging category. The highest-scoring perry was the 93-points silver winner – Ramborn Ice Perry 2020 by Ramborn Cider Co., Luxembourg.
The fruit wine entries showed a diversity of styles and flavours, with the best-performing ones being the lower-alcohol fruit wines which displayed a good balance of sweetness, freshness and fruit flavours. The top performer in this category was another entry by Ramborn Cider Co., Luxembourg - Ramborn Garden Quince which won a silver award.
View full medal results for ciders and perries here; for fruit wines - here.
2023 Gold Medal Winners: 100% fresh pressed cider, perry & fruit wine
