Varieties
DABINETT – probably dates from the early 1900’s. It was found by William Dabinett grown as a natural seedling in a hedge in South Petherton, Somerset. Classed as a bittersweet cider apple, Dabinett has a small, yellow-green fruit flecked with red, usually harvested in November in the UK. The flesh is green and aromatic, the tree has a relatively small and spreading habit and it has a high resistance to apple scab.
YARLINGTON MILL – is a bittersweet apple named after the mill in Somerset where it was found. It is a bittersweet which has good sized apples that are red and yellow in colour. They are a favourite with traditional cider makers because of their outstanding taste and because the juice is slow to ferment which produces a rich, red, medium cider.
PORT WINE (HARRY MASTERS) – mainly grown in Worcestershire. It is a bittersweet apple and is a vintage cider apple which means you can get a full bodied cider using just the juice of the fruit. It is a medium sized tree which crops fairly regularly.
HEREFORD JERSEY (CHISEL) – has orangey-red fruit. It is a traditional English hard cider apple variety producing a bittersweet juice.
ASHTON & ELLIS BITTER (BLEND) – orangey-red stripes on a yellow background in a squashed conical shape, combines low-acid, medium tannin, high sugar to create a mildly astringent, bitter taste.
