Exam Focus
- Recognize the 2025 C1 family as Common, Heirloom, English, French, and Spanish Cider.
- Compare fruit source, tannin, acidity, sweetness, fermentation character, carbonation, and traditional complexity across the substyles.
- Distinguish the current C1 organization from the superseded 2015 Standard Cider and Perry category.
Core concept
The family distinguishes fruit sources, regional traditions, structure, fermentation character, and balance. The category is not identical to the older 2015 C1 Standard Cider and Perry structure.
Judging and study application
Study decisive comparisons: fruit and tannin intensity, acidity, sweetness, fermentation or maturation character, carbonation, and permitted traditional complexity.
Why It Matters
- Legacy category names can cause incorrect placement and comparison even when the sensory description is sound.
- Regional tradition changes which fruit, fermentation, sweetness, tannin, and rustic traits support style fit.
Practical Sensory Exercises
Build a five-column C1 contrast
Create columns for Common, Heirloom, English, French, and Spanish Cider. Under each, write the first three structural or fermentation cues you would compare, using the current guideline rather than memory.
Key Terms
- C1A
- Common Cider in the 2025 guidelines.
- C1C
- English Cider in the 2025 guidelines.
- C1E
- Spanish Cider in the 2025 guidelines.