Lucy and I had a holiday in the Cornwall and Devon at the end of last month and beginning of this one (photos). In the Truro Sainsbury's on the way down I opted to eschew the usual selection of bitter for what seemed like a good range of ciders. This became a mini-theme for the holiday, and here are my notes from it.

Henny's Dry Cider

• 6% Alcohol, made from 100% fresh pressed juice.
• Made in Herefordshire, Frome Valley
• No artificial sweeteners or colourings but it does have sulphites 'to preserve freshness'
• http://www.henneys.co.uk

I'd say 'medium dry': actually It's a bit disappointing and undistinctive somehow. Like a slightly less fizzy Dry Blackthorn and no more.

Sainsbury's Organic West Country Cider

• 6% Alcohol
• Made in Herefordshire
• Contains sulphites as preservatives

Sounds familiar? Yes, and tastes familiar, too. One other thing: is Herefordshire really the West Country?

Stowford Press

• On draught in Royal Standard, Flushing
• Brewed by Westons, another Herefordshire cider
• http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews132120.html

Light, not too fizzy. Subtle taste, verging on weak, but pleasantly dry.

Cidre de Récoltant, Duché de Longueville

• Produced exclusively from pure pressed apple juice
• Made with a minimum of 90% Gros Oeillet apples
• Contains sulphites
• http://www.emporiabrands.com

Well at least we're out of Hertfordshire (and into Nomandy). This is sweeter than anything else so far — though it still calls itself dry — but the sweetness is in the aftertaste. In this, and more generally, it reminds me strongly of Taunton Autumn Gold.

Strongbow

• On draught in The Seven Stars, Flushing

This is like an average of all other dry ciders, or a common denominator. It's neither disappointing nor exciting. It's fizzy, but not oppressively so.I bet it has lots of sulphites.

Merrydown

• Doesn't say where it's from, but made to "a unique Sussex recipe" since 1946, including "champagne yeast and selected eating apples"
• 7.5% alcohol
• Contains sulphites
• http://www.merrydown.co.uk

This was always my staple at university, especially at garden parties: it's summery, not too many people like it (so, more for me) and its incredibly alcoholic, almost as strong as wine. The taste is a little thinner than the others, but it's genuinely dry, and I still like it.

Scrumpy Willey, West Country Farm Cider

• 6% alcohol
• Contains sulphites, sugar and sweeteners

I bought this in Falmouth to get something that was genuinely from the west country, and the address is from a Bristol postcode. I couldn't buy one of the flagons of sweet scrumpy, because they were too big. However, as you can tell from the title, it's not aimed at the sophisticated end of the market. I don't like it much; it's on the edge of being vinegary.

Drummer's Leg (?)

• On draught at The Forest Inn, Hexworthy

This is the real thing, and it's a fairly unforgiving experience. A genuinely local Devon cider, which made me wince slightly on first taste, as it felt very close to the dividing line with vinegar. I enjoyed it a little more with more experience, but I think it would take a while to acquire the taste for drinking it regularly or in volume. I left a couple of centimetres in the bottom of my pint.

Aspalls Suffolk Cyder

• On draught in the Dartmoor Halfway Inn, Bickington

Very nice this one — possibly closest to Merrydown.

Thatchers Dry Cider

• On draught in the Sandy Park Inn, Dartmoor

A bit of a disappointment: anonymous, and not immediately distinguishable from the mainstream ciders, while not as pleasant as Stowford Press