Back in 2014, I put aside just a few hundred bottles of Chalkdown Cider to try an experiment - what if we left our cider to age on its lees for a really extended period - like five years? Could we create something really special?

Well, I think we have and it’s now available for you to buy and try. It’s taken six years to create and once this limited stock is gone it won’t be available again for at least another six years.

Our “Chalkdown XLA” has all the hallmarks of our more recent vintages: fresh apples, balanced acidity and delicate bubbles. But the colour has started to take on a golden hue. The biscuity notes are more pronounced. The aroma and palate are more complex and the flavours linger on the palate for a long time.

This is definitely a cider to savour - in a flute glass - and to reflect on life’s pleasures. To try for yourself and experience how good a cider can be. Or best of all to share with your dearest friends.