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
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
SXOLLIE Packham’s Triumph & Honestly Tasty’s Vegan 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.