Ashmead's Bedan

Written by Chris Negronida, Cider Consultant

We're excited to share Ashmead's Bedan, our newest cider, available this fall online and at The Tasting Room in Callicoon.

The 2024 harvest yielded several small batches, including a single-barrel field blend of Ashmead's Kernel, an English russet dating back to the 1700s, and Bedan, a French bittersweet grown in the Calvados region since the Middle Ages. 

After primary fermentation, this cider underwent a partial spontaneous malolactic fermentation, resulting in a cider with the butterscotch nose and creamy mouthfeel often associated with lactic acid, while still maintaining enough malic acid to remain bright and lively. Combine this with the peppery stone fruit notes offered by Ashmead's Kernel and the soft, earthy tannins of Bedan, and you have a cider that feels complete in its simplest form.

We left this cider still and dry, choosing only to filter the cider to preserve the delicate balance of lactic and malic acid that makes this cider what it is. We only produced 28 cases.

A pre-release of this cider will go out to our cider club members with our September release. Join today and be the first to try Ashmead's Bedan.