We’d seen Valley Cider a few years ago back during Cider Festival. While we’re on the island, we decided to check out their taproom.
Entrance signs.
Sign outside.
We dropped in on a late Saturday afternoon (around 3:30pm). The tasting room can fit two groups in at a time. Service was friendly and informative. We lucked out and our tasting was done by the cidermaker himself! Interesting to hear what went behind certain flavours and ideas.
Tasting is complimentary and we were given 5 cider samples to try (plus a bonus soda).
Cider bottles are $4.99 (330ml) and sodas are $3.99.
They even had a mingler ($50.00 for 12 bottles).
Community-in-cider
A smorgasboard of apples (that would have been discarded) from the surrounding area. Pleasantly smooth. A good heritage cider.
Ginnish
We liked that it wasn’t overly juniper heavy. Light with different flavour notes coming through.
Humulus lupulus
A lot of lychee and honey on the nose. Again, light but refreshing. An excellent hopped cider (which is due to using aromatic hops).
Poïple
Beautiful colour from using the pea blossom. More of the fruitier style that we are used to with crushed blueberries and lemon zest.
Winter
A mix of winter spices (we tasted notes of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla).
Absinthe soda
Normally we don’t like anise but it was very well balanced and rounded. A variety of flavours come through and these soda babies only have 50g of sugar.
We bought half a dozen cider bottles (love potion, farriessence, gingerella, rouge, cider noir and ¡feugo!) and two sodas (ginger and citrus). Can’t wait to try out these flavours!
VC was a pleasant surprise. Worth a visit if you’re a cider aficionado.
Valley Cider
https://valleycider.square.site/
7661 Mays Rd
Duncan, BC
(250) 510-1018
CHERRY BOB-OMBS 