Aspall Dry 500ML

Aspall Dry 500ML is a Suffolk-made dry cider blending sweet, sharp, and bittersweet apple varieties in a 500ml bottle at 5.5% ABV. A two-star Great Taste Award winner in 2018, this expression also earned a Gold medal at the British Bottlers' Institute in 2011 and Silver at the International Cider Challenge in 2014 — a track record that reflects its consistent quality across multiple vintages.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.5%  |  Origin: Suffolk, England  |  Style: Dry Cider  |  Cyder House: Aspall, est. 1728

Production & Heritage

Aspall traces its roots to 1728, when Clement Chevallier planted orchards at Aspall Hall in the village of Aspall, Suffolk — making it one of England's oldest cider houses. The family ran the operation for eight generations before Molson Coors acquired the brand in 2018. Aspall Dry follows an Eastern-style cider tradition, relying on dessert and culinary apple varieties rather than the heavily tannic West Country approach. The blend is built on 50% sweet apples (Cox Orange Pippin, Early Windsor, Royal Gala, Katy), 35% sharp apples (Bramley Seedling, Howgate Wonder), and 15% bittersweet apples (Tremlett's Bitter, Yarlington Mill, Medaille d'Or, Kingston Black), all grown in orchards around Debenham, Suffolk. Fermentation uses Champagne yeast — a deliberate choice that preserves the natural apple aromas and contributes the cider's characteristic fine mousse.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Clean and lifted, opening with light floral notes before settling into the fragrance of freshly pressed dessert apples. There is no farmyard funk here — just bright, orchard-fresh fruit.

Taste: The entry is dry and rounded, moving into a creamy mid-palate with medium body and a fine, mouth-filling mousse. Acidity is well-balanced, providing backbone without sharpness, while soft tannins from the bittersweet varieties add gentle grip and structure at the peak.

Finish: Elegant and long, with lingering apple skin bitterness and a clean, dry close. The tannins recede gently, leaving a crisp, refreshing impression.

How to Drink Aspall Dry

Serve well chilled at 4–6°C in a tulip glass or clean pint glass to concentrate the floral aromatics. Aspall Dry also performs well as a cocktail ingredient: try it in a Cider Spritz with elderflower liqueur and soda for a light summer aperitif; in a Stone Wall (cider and bourbon over ice) where its dry acidity cuts through the whiskey's sweetness; or in a French 75 riff replacing Champagne with this cider alongside gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup for a lower-ABV twist.

Best For

• A Sunday roast with roasted pork or chicken, where the acidity and apple character complement the dish
• Introducing wine drinkers to premium English cider via its Champagne-yeast refinement
• Summer barbecues and outdoor gatherings as a sessionable, dry alternative to lager
• Building a curated cider tasting alongside West Country styles to contrast Eastern and Western traditions

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Aspall Dry taste like? Aspall Dry is a clean, medium-bodied dry cider with a creamy mousse, balanced acidity, soft tannins, and a prominent fresh apple character that finishes long and crisp.

How does Aspall Dry compare to Thatchers Gold? Thatchers Gold is a medium-dry Somerset cider at 4.8% ABV with a smoother, sweeter profile, while Aspall Dry leans drier and more acidic thanks to its higher proportion of sharp apple varieties and Champagne yeast fermentation. Aspall's Eastern-style approach also yields a lighter tannic structure compared to Thatchers' West Country character.

Is Aspall Dry good for drinking on its own? Absolutely — its fine mousse, balanced acidity, and elegant dryness make it well-suited to sipping chilled without any mixer or accompaniment.

Where is Aspall Dry made? Aspall Dry is produced at Aspall Hall in the village of Aspall, near Debenham in Suffolk, England, using apples sourced from surrounding Suffolk orchards.

What foods pair well with Aspall Dry? Roast pork with apple sauce, where the cider mirrors the fruit element; mature English cheddar, whose sharpness matches the acidity; pan-fried white fish with lemon, complemented by the cider's citric freshness; charcuterie boards, where the dry finish cleanses the palate between rich bites; and pork pies or sausage rolls, a classic English pub pairing.

What sizes does Aspall Dry come in? Aspall Dry is commonly available in the standard 500ml bottle format.

Is Aspall Dry worth the price? Aspall Dry positions as a premium English cider, sitting above mass-market brands like Magners or Strongbow but remaining accessible as an everyday drinking cider rather than a special-occasion purchase — its multiple awards across different competitions reinforce strong value at its price tier.

Why Aspall Dry?

What distinguishes Aspall Dry from the broader cider market is its Champagne yeast fermentation — a technique that delivers a refined mousse and preserves volatile apple aromas that standard ale yeasts would strip away. The three-way apple blend of sweet, sharp, and bittersweet varieties grown in Suffolk creates a complexity uncommon in ciders at this price point. Nearly three centuries of continuous cider-making at Aspall Hall gives this product a heritage few competitors can match, and its accumulation of a Great Taste Award, International Cider Challenge Silver, and British Bottlers' Institute Gold confirms that the quality has survived the transition from family ownership to larger-scale production. For drinkers seeking a genuinely dry, well-structured English cider with verifiable provenance, Aspall Dry remains one of the benchmarks of the Eastern style.