If I am not mistaken, the Guillaume Sweet Simplon is the second cider from Switzerland that I get to review on the pages of Cider Explorer. Last year at CiderWorldAward’23 this cider won Gold. Also, it won two silver medals from the World Cider Awards and the International Cider Challenge. The Guillaume Sweet Simplon is a certified organic cider that was made using three apple varieties, Goldrush, Jonagold and Reinette du Canada.
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Company: Guillaume & Co Sarl
Place of Origin: Sion, Valais, Switzerland
Apples: a blend of Goldrush, Jonagold and Reinette du Canada
ABV: 5,5%
Package type: 33cl amber glass bottle with crown cap
Recommended type of glass: tumbler, white wine glass
Appearance: pours a cloudy, almost opaque golden with an orange hue. Almost no gas. Medium body.
Aroma/Nose: the scent is strong with notes of apple juice, pear juice and orange juice along with a note of freshly grated carrot.
Taste: my first taste is slightly sweet with a moderate acidity. On the mid-palate, lemon juice, orange juice, pear juice. A touch of astringency. Finishes dry with a note of a multivitamin juice.
Overall: I was really looking forward to trying this Swiss cider. Especially that quite recently it has come to my attention that after the World War II Switzlerland cut almost all apple and pear trees to fight high consumption of apple and pear brandies. Therefore, seeing new cidermakers emerging in this country, makes me really happy. However, I’m not sure exactly what to say about the content of the bottle that was shared with me. And, I don’t think that my tasting notes can actually explain how I feel about this product. While drinking the Guillaume Sweet Simplon that won so many awards, I had a feeling, I’m drinking a sophisticated multivitamin juice with some alcohol. I thought it was tasty and balanced as it wasn’t either too sweet or too sour. But as a multivitamin juice or a cocktail based on multivitamin juice, but not a cider. To be honest with you, I have no idea what kind of rating should I give to a juice… Therefore, I’ve decided not to give any score this time. I guess those who are in the beginning of their cider journey, will enjoy a bottle of the Guillaume Sweet Simplon because everyone like a glass of a good quality juice/cocktail. However, if you are looking for a cider that tastes like wine, you may want to try something else.
Availability: in selected stores in Switzerland
Price: Alexandre provided me with a sample.
