After a hard job sampling all four (hey, someone had to!) I paired each SXOLLIE xider with our Honestly Tasty plant-based cheeses. So, if you’re looking for a little fun one evening, consider inviting some pals around for a ‘cider tasting flight with cheese pairings’ and work out whether or not you agree with my favourite combos below.
P.s. I've not lost my marbles, or replaced the C on my keyboard with a X… speaking to the Sxollie team, they explained that…
“You haven’t tasted cider until you’ve tasted award-winning SXOLLIE. Made naturally only your favourite eating apples, grown in the sunshine – nothing else. It makes for a decidedly different cider. That’s why we call it xider.”
SXOLLIE Cripps Pink & Honestly Tasty’s Garlic + Herb
Bursting with floral undertones, the sort which you can only get from pink lady apples - this was another winner (spoiler: I loved them all). I’m a real “apple a day because it’s delicious and if it keeps the doctor away that’s great too” sort of person, and if I got to choose… it’d always be a pink lady. Do the 3.3 inside a bottle of Cripps Pink count? Asking for a friend…SXOLLIE Cripps Pink felt like one of their more summer-y ciders, and whilst our garlic & herb cheese is popular all year round - it definitely has less to prove at a picnic (it should be part of every spread!) and I can see why these two work well together. Maybe it has something to do with the slight sweetness (SXOLLIE recommends it with dessert!) but again, tasting notes aside - I just enjoyed this combination… because it tastes good. Sorry sommeliers…
SXOLLIE Granny Smith & Honestly Tasty’s Vegan Brie (Bree)
I think the granny smith xider was my favourite, it certainly felt like the one most likely to go really well with each different cheese (acknowledging that you won't always have time or inclination to indulge in a full flight tasting!). It was pale, crisp, tart and refreshing and whilst I might have been indoors at 8pm, mid-March, I felt closer to 4pm on a Friday in July! Served super cold, I enjoyed it irrespective of the pairing… although call me biassed, I enjoyed it even more paired with our cheese! Perhaps something about the acidity of this cider marries it up well with the hints of truffle in our vegan brie, and/or perhaps it's the way it cuts through the rind and creamy texture... whatever it is, it works and I recommend it.
SXOLLIE Golden Delicious & Honestly Tasty’s Chilli Ched
Cheddary cheeses tend to go well with most ciders, and our ched spread has a sharp tang to it... I think that’s why I found the subtle yeastiness of SXOLLIE Golden Delicious married up with it so well - the flavour is balanced by a natural, floral sweetness. SXOLLIE recommends it with spicy asian food too, and I can see why.
SXOLLIE Packham’s Triumph & Honestly Tasty’s Vegan Blue
Blue cheese goes wonderfully with a thin slice of pear, in fact we tried it with both a fresh slither and also with Rubie’s pear & fig relish - both worked a treat and pear-ed (ha-ha) wonderfully with SXOLLIE perry… this medium dry beverage presents a creaminess and the floralness provides a little sweetness. Overall it marries up joyfully with our creamy, beloved Blue.
So there you have it. A layman’s guide to cheese and cider combos - let me know what you think! Buy the cheese on site or shop SXOLLIE xider here.