thatchers orchard

Thatchers is adding a limited-edition Redwood variant to its vintage Cider Barn range.

Thatchers Redwood, a 6% abv cider, is made with a blend of bittersweet and culinary apples, and is matured in 150-year-old oak vats with an added infusion of oak chips. It rolls out from September onwards (rsp: £2/500ml).

Redwood had “enabled us to look at new ways of maturing this,” said Thatchers MD Martin Thatcher. “By using oak chips, we have been able to create a rich, intense character to this cider.”

It follows the addition of 8.4% abv Redstreak Cider to the range last year, made using the cuvage technique, by which apples are milled and held for a day before pressing out the juice.

Sales across Thatchers’ portfolio were up £12.93 million (37.8%) to £47.2m this year, on volumes up 45.9% [Nielsen 52 w/e 22 April 2017].