Show Notes
With the whole CV team back together again we thought about doing an earnest and serious conversation about apple and pear varieties. But with all the sport on we changed our mind and turned it into a knockout tournament to discover the greatest (British) cider apple or perry pear of them all. Pitting 32 contenders against each other, Adam tasks Justin and Albert with finding the ultimate.Thorn vs Bulmers Norman?Egremont Russet vs Yellow Huffcap?Moorcroft vs Kingston Black?Stoke Red vs Butt?Which will be left standing at the end? Get ready for an extreme fund of sporting metaphors:What are the Gareth Southgate and Andy Murray of perry pears?Who is the Joe Root of Cider Voice?Which matchup is like Hamilton winning Silverstone for the 9th time?And which round do our judges just want to dispense with? Featuring Justin’s pomological insights like ‘Coppy sounds a bit like cuppy’ and Albert’s true feelings on Bisquet, the biggest question of all is will the final go to penalties? Want to know the greatest apple or pear? You'll have to listen. Shoutout to Swedish cidermaker Hjulsjö 103 Albert's the midfield general @rosscider@adamhwells has a vicious backhand @cider_reviewJustin's dug in @justinwellsjustin
More from Cider Voice
Recorded in early September 2026, Adam and Albert sit down with the inimitable Lydia Crimp and Tom Tibbits of Artistraw Cider to discuss sweet cider, harvest problems, varieties and rootstocks and much more.
Adam and Justin go into roving reporter mode, doing the Lord's work of completing Rossfest 2027 via a string of on-the-ground recordings. Along the way they'll reminisce about favourite back-vintage Rossfests, taste the 2027 new releases, catch up with other punters, watch the dog show, pair cider with crisps, drink American ciders, buy some ceramics, engage in longsword fights and do their best to clean the barn out of cider at the maker's share and bottle sales. All without Albert cottoning on. Joined by a record number of pod guests (almost as many as we have listeners) join the Cousins Wells on their journey through the best few days in the cider calendar.
The whole gang review all the communication received since we resumed publishing in 2026. We talk about the ciders that stood out this year, the value (if any) of American 'cider' varieties, the consequence of the hottest summer on record to British cidermaking, and a quick introduction to biochar.
Justin swaps spaceship for canal barge this week as the team sits down with Sam Leach of Somerset’s Wilding Cider. We talk about the move from restaurants to cidermaking, natural wine influence and quality of produce. Then we discuss the orchards and terroirs of Somerset and Wilding’s growing business before diving into all things distillation – from apples to methods to spirit that tastes like mustard. Additional shoutout to Matt of Pealer Mill Cider for the extra eau de vie.
With Justin returned from his latest space mission the team reunites for an epic new episode. We meet special guest star and Ross-on-Wye stalwart, Bassie, to learn about his journey from ordinary gaming man to hardened cider-pusher. Then, prompted by a request from a listener, we dive into all things label - what we want to see on them, how best to present information to consumers and who we think does some of the best labels in the game. We even find time for a game of back label 'just a minute'. Have a listen through the usual channels, and get in touch to let us know what you want us to talk about next. Cider Voice is presented by @rosscider @adamhwells and @justinwellsjustin