Featured on the Irish cooking course is the Stonewell Medium Dry Irish Craft Cider which is 20% cider apples/bitter sweet and 80% eating apples.
Visual
When tasting cider, the first thing to do is look at its appearance. In a clear glass, hold the cider up to the light and look at the colour and the clarity - generally speaking, the darker the colour the more tannins there are in the cider giving the drink a dryer more bitter taste. Also, have a look at the amount of bubbles, using the ‘bubble meter’.
Smell
Give your glass a swirl to help release the aroma, then give it a good sniff a few times and see if you can describe what you smell.
Taste & Mouthfeel
Now time to taste! Take a sip and keep the cider in your mouth for a few seconds to help gather as much information as possible before swallowing. Again, have a think of the words which describe what you’re tasting using the tasting wheel as a guide.