Partnership revives rare 30-year-old cider brandy

A distillery and museum have partnered to sell an "exceptionally rare" cider brandy, which has been allowed to mature for 30 years.

The product is being marketed by Ludlow Distillery and the Museum of Cider, in Hereford, after sourcing the spirit from the former King Offa Distillery, which ceased active distillation in the early 1990s.

The King Offa Distillery was founded in 1984 by Bertram Bulmer, following a determined battle with customs and excise officials to secure the first modern licence to distil cider brandy in England.

It was at a time when cider brandy production had disappeared and when the distillery closed the remaining stocks were preserved at the Museum of Cider.

Shaun Ward, founder and master distiller at Ludlow Distillery, said: "This spirit stopped me in my tracks the first time I tasted it back in 1998.

"It's alive with character. You can feel the orchard, the patience, and the hands that made it all those years ago at the King Offa Distillery."

He described working with the museum as a "real privilege", adding: "Our job has simply been to listen to the spirit, carefully bottle and make sure it can get into the hands of some very eager customers."

Elizabeth Pimblett, Director of the Museum of Cider, said: "The Museum of Cider has cared for the spirits of the former King Offa Distillery for many years, and it is wonderful to see them being shared more widely once again."

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