An Interesting Drop: Richard Wilcox

Last weekend I took a wrong turning driving to Roger Wilkins' farm. In the end I never reached Roger's. Instead I ended up just outside Shipham at Richard Wilcox's farm, having been attracted in by a new sign proclaiming farmhouse cider. Of course I had to stop and so ventured in to find the farmer.
 
Just inside the gate was an honesty box and an extensive selection of veg as well as free range eggs, but the shed containing the cider was locked. A quick search revealed a couple of doorbell switches and a quick toot on a "doorbell", which triggered a car horn rather than a bell, summoned the farmer, Richard, to serve me a few samples of his cider.
 
He explained that he only kept small barrels in the shed, and after I'd filled up my 5L container he took me to see his much larger sheds on the farm where he ferments and matures his cider.
 
He matures his cider in old whisky and rum barrels, which adds a unique flavour. His favourite among his own ciders is the one matured in rum barrels. That particular brew was a little sweet for my taste, but then I do like a very dry cider. I mentioned that to him and he dipped a half pint jug into a large bowser and pulled out a drop of the unsweetened cider. To my palate it was absolute heaven but he doesn't sell very much of the very dry stuff.
 
We're planning to go back to Richard's and ask him to get involved with CiderPunk, so hopefully you should be able to taste some of this unique rum-barrel and whisky-barrel matured cider very soon.