Little Pomona - A New Leaf 2023

Cider has spent years fighting its way out of the shadow of sticky pub pints and badly behaved festival hangovers. Little Pomona are one of the producers helping drag it firmly back towards something far more interesting.

Based near Bromyard in Herefordshire, James and Susanna Forbes make low-intervention cider and perry from proper orchards, wild yeast and an obvious obsession with apples. The whole operation sits right in the heart of English cider country among old orchards and hop fields, which helps explain why the drinks feel so rooted in place.

What makes Little Pomona stand out is the balance between precision and experimentation. Traditional cider apples sit alongside eating apples, co-ferments and barrel ageing projects, but the drinks rarely feel gimmicky. There’s texture, acidity, tannin and proper structure underneath it all. Some bottles lean bright and sparkling, others savoury and still, often carrying notes of orchard fruit, blossom, citrus peel, spice and soft funk in a way wine drinkers tend to appreciate immediately.

They were also early advocates for dry, keg-conditioned cider in the UK, helping modern cider move away from sweetness without losing drinkability. The best bottles feel closer to natural wine than industrial cider. Complex but still joyful to drink.

Herefordshire itself deserves a lot of credit too. Cool climate, old apple varieties and generations of cider-making knowledge create fruit with real character. Little Pomona just happen to handle it particularly well. Slightly nerdy, beautifully made cider that still remembers cider is supposed to be fun.