Strongbow

It had to come sooner or later, or more precisely, sooner. The Strongbow review.

Strongbow is the beans on toast of cider, the bog standard.

At 5% this cider from Bulmers, based in Hereford, is quite refreshing, as it claims. Not too sweet or too dry, but not with a particularly apple cider taste either, even a little metallic, but not bad. An average mainstream cider. Strongbow is the beans on toast of cider.

I like beans on toast.

And I like Strongbow. It’s like an old friend. It’s always there. In those cider-lonely bars that have an endless range of tasteless lagers served extra cold so you can’t actually taste how crap they are, at least the friendly black and gold logo is always there like a familiar face. I’ve been with Strongbow for 20 years. Through thick and thin, mainly through thin, Strongbow has been the backbone of a cider drinker’s world for a long time. Why, my old cider-drinking compatriot, Captain Cockles, even named his boat after it, The Strong Bow (bow as in the sharp end of a boat)

I even took up archery, though I never tried shooting the bar counter. So this weekend I took a few cans to an uncapitalised god themed party, hence the helmet of Thor in the background, and it did me proud. Plus, by taking cider to a party, other guests are much less likely to steal it than if it were a lager, or spirit. (Still, keep it hidden in case there’s alcoholics or teenagers around)

So there you have it, an average cider, but because it’s been good to me:

Verdict 4/5

Thor’s helmet is currently residing in Transport For London’s lost property office in Baker Street, minus a cheek guard, should you wish to collect it.