Scruffy Dog Cider Tasting
George Blues and Carol McLaren, both born and bred in Perthshire, have created Scruffy Dog Cider in both Medium Sweet and Medium Dry varieties
George Blues and Carol McLaren, both born and bred in Perthshire, have created Scruffy Dog Cider in both Medium Sweet and Medium Dry varieties
We do love a new Perthshire product here at Provender Brown but in order to make our shelves it has to be more than 'just local' - it has to taste good! New cider, Scruffy Dog (we LOVE the name!) ticks both boxes and we're delighted to be running a tasting in the deli very soon.
George Blues and Carol McLaren, both born and bred in Perthshire, created Scruffy Dog Cider, inspired by “Ozzy”, their working Cocker Spaniel and the scruffy dog himself. His fondness for scurrying in and out of bushes in the Perthshire hills, gives him a distinct dishevelled appearance.
Having hand gathered their fruits from local orchards, George and Carol’s quest to create a cider of exceptional quality led them to personally deliver then oversee the pressing of their apples, the base juice for their cider.
They selected a Champagne yeast, one which works well at low temperatures for and uncommonly slow, gentle fermentation.
The resulting rich, crisp, naturally juicy real apple taste can only be achieved by using these stringent techniques delivering supreme refreshment which defies the 6.8% ABV strength.
"At Scruffy Dog Cider we like to celebrate the ancient tradition for apple growing in rural Perthshire. The area was once renowned for its “top fruit” orchards- apple, pear and plum- since the monasteries farmed the land in the 12th century. Sadly, 28 out of the 51 known orchards in the Carse of Gowrie area alone no longer exist and only nine grow to any commercial scale.
Inspired by our own scruffy dog “Ozzy”, Scruffy Dog Cider is made with apples from small orchards across the region, including community growers, such as Cultybraggan near Comrie.
We gather our Perthshire apples by hand and deliver to one of the best producers in Herefordshire, to be turned into two styles of Scruffy Dog Cider, medium sweet and medium dry.
But, with planning now granted for our own cider shed in the paddock next to our cottage in Methven, Perthshire, our vision of bringing cider production into our garden is within sight."
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