The Cat's Pyjamas 2023

Not for the faint-hearted: this is a farmhouse-style cider with deep complexity. This is a Scrumpy with a fine cider finish.  It's got it's best suit on for your special occasion.

The unique product of a wild-ferment, extended oak barrel maturation and Methode Traditionelle fermentation in the bottle.  Each vintage is a singular reflection of the season, the natural yeasts in the fruit and in the atmosphere of the cidery. 

Bittersweet and bittersharp cider apples from the Small Acres Cyder orchard are picked, crushed, pressed and blended then go through a gentle slow ferment as the natural yeasts compete to develop the complexity of the cider. Two years maturing in old french oak barrels creates further complexity; tannins mellow and warm vanilla tones develop. Unfiltered.

The cider is bottled in heavy sparkling bottles for a Methode Traditionelle fermentation that creates the fine distinctive bubbles for a lifted aroma and fine prickle on the tongue.

Finally the bottles are hand riddled and disgorged, removing the yeast and ensuring a sparkling cider with a rich gold tone.

This is a labour of love, only made when the fruit is at it's best and only released when it is something very special.  Based on a French countryhouse style cider, the experience is unique and unforgettable. 

Food Matching:

The Cat's Pyjamas 2023 is a dry and full flavoured cider that matches well with big bold flavours. Great with Mushroom, Umame, Beef stew and full flavoured hard cheeses. Leaf salad? Not so much!

Full tasting notes

Colour: Striking, rich deep gold.

Aroma: Bold leathery complexity with attractive aromas of stewed bittersweet apple fruit with lovely tropical and stone fruit and a hint of allspice.

Palate: Full bodied and bold with balanced sweet fruit, acid and bitterness. The complex baked apple and stonefruit flavours are held within a lovely full palate with a dry finish that demands a full flavoured food.

7.5% ALC/VOL | 750ml bottle

What's a scrumpy cider?

Traditional English farmhouse ciders were forraged or "scrumped" from random local trees, wild fermented in wooden barrels to very dry and served still. With little of the original fruity apple flavour and stronger alcohol it. Generally it was cloudy and pretty rough. 

You can still find local scrumpy ciders in many small towns in England.  Plenty of commercial cider have pinched the name and put it on anything cloudy even very sweet ciders.

The Cat's Pyjamas uses a wide blend of apples from across our orchard, is barrel matured and quite dry. While we don't filter the Cat's we rack it multiple times and then put it through the Methode Traditionelle resulting in a beautifully clear cider.  Like a scrumpy that's scrubbed up well!