Cider Classification
Cider apples are not usually edible. Instead these varieties are grown for the remarkable qualities of their juice that in varying degrees are rich in sugars and tannins. It is rare to find one variety that possesses all the attributes to make a great cider and it for this reason that most ciders are blends of different cider apples. In planning a blend as a starting point it is good to know three things about your juice - its sugar content, its acidity and the type and amount of tannin (that flavour we find in tea).
The SG or specific gravity of a juice, by and large, gives a guide to the possible sugar levels and as such the eventual alcohol content of the cider. Here late apples tend to offer more sugar. The general minimum SG from a single variety would be 1050.
| Sugar Content | SG | Brix | % Alcohol |
| Very Low | 1040 | 10 | 5 |
| Low | 1050 | 12.5 | 6.2 |
| Medium | 1055 | 13.5 | 7 |
| High | 1060 | 15 | 7.8 |
| Exceptional | 1070 | 17 | 9 |
By mixing varieties you can see how you could establish sugar content. Failing that as a weak resort you could add sugar.
Next up is Malic Acid - the main acid in apples (malus). The idea is to balance this ingedient.
| Acidity | Malic Acid | pH | Comment |
| Low | 0.10 - 0.35% | 3.8+ | Sweets Bittersweets |
| Medium | 0.36 - 0.60% | 3.4-3.5 | Ideal balance |
| High | 0.61 - 0.90% | 3.1- 3.3 | Dessert Apples |
| Very High | 0.91%+ | -3.0 | Cooking Apples |
The last of our gang of three is Tannin. The Tannin that necessarily adds distinctive "body" to a cider blend is sought from from Bittersweet Apples. (NB dessert apples have the least). Historically SW England and NW France ciders have used fruit with high levels of tannin whereas ciders in the East of England have used less.
The basic Long Ashton Cider Classification is used today (source Liz Copas).
| ACID% | TANNIN% | CHARACTERISTICS | |
| SHARP | Greater than 0.45% | Less than 0.2% | High in acidity and low in tannins |
| BITTERSHARP | Greater than 0.45% | Greater than 0.2% | High in both acidity and tannins |
| BITTERSWEET | Less than 0.45% | Greater than 0.2% | Low in acidity and high in tannins |
| SWEET | Less than 0.45% | Less than 0.2% | Low in both acidity and tannins |
| Variety | Classification | S.G. | Acidity | Tannin |
| Angela (New) | BITTERSHARP | 1045 | 0.62% | 0.19% |
| Ashton Brown Jersey | M. BITTERSWEET | 1054 | 0.14% | 0.23% |
| Bell Apple | PURE SWEET | 1058 | 0.18% | 0.12% |
| Black Dabinett | BITTERSWEET | 1048 | 0.23% | 0.28% |
| Brown's Apple | EARLY SHARP | 1048 | 0.67% | 0.12% |
| Brown Snout | BITTERSWEET | 1051 | 0.31% | 0.16% |
| Bulmers Norman | SWEET | 1046 | 0.22% | 0.20% |
| Camelot | M. BITTERSHARP | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Chisel Jersey | FULL BITTERSWEET | 1059 | 0.20% | 0.45% |
| Court Royal | LATE PURE SWEET | 1050 | 0.21% | 0.11% |
| Crimson King | MEDIUM SHARP | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Dabinett | FULL BITTERSWEET | 1057 | 0.18% | 0.29% |
| Doux Normandie | BITTERSWEET | 1047 | 0.23% | 0.29% |
| Ellis Bitter | BITTERSWEET | 1053 | 0.20% | 0.24% |
| Frequin Rouge | BITTERSWEET | 1047 | 0.26% | 0.30% |
| Fillbarrel | BITTERSWEET | 1062 | 0.25% | 0.30% |
| Fiona (New) | BITTERSHARP | 1049 | 0.69% | 0.15% |
| Foxwhelp | BITTERSHARP | 1048 | 0.69% | 0.17% |
| Frederick | SHARP | 1.02% | 0.09% | |
| Guillevic | MEDIUM SHARP | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Harry Masters Jersey | BITTERSWEET | 1056 | 0.20% | 0.32% |
| Hastings (New) | BITTERSWEET | 1057 | 0.13% | 0.29% |
| Helen's Apple (New) | BITTERSWEET | 1043 | 0.10% | 0.29% |
| Jane (New) | BITTERSWEET | 1052 | 0.19% | 0.33% |
| Katy | SUB ACID DESSERT | 1053 | 0.77% | 0.22% |
| Kermerrien | BITTERSWEET | 1050 | 0.26% | 0.32% |
| Kingston Black | BITTERSHARP | 1061 | 0.58% | 0.19% |
| Lizzie (New) | BITTERSWEET | 1047 | 0.17% | 0.20% |
| Major | EARLYBITTERSWEET | 1054 | 0.18% | 0.41% |
| Medaille d'Or | FULL BITTERSWEET | 1059 | 0.27% | 0.64% |
| Mettais | BITTERSWEET | 1056 | 0.19% | 0.25% |
| Michelin | BITTERSWEET | 1050 | 0.25% | 0.23% |
| Morgan Sweet | EARLY SWEET | 1049 | 0.22% | 0.13% |
| Muscadet de Dieppe | BITTERSWEET | 1057 | 0.26% | 0.21% |
| Nehou | BITTERSWEET | 1056 | 0.32% | 0.34% |
| Northwood | LATE SWEET | 1049 | 0.27% | 0.17% |
| Red Gravestein | SHARP | 1052 | 0.56% | 0.07% |
| Reine des Pommes | BITTERSWEET | 1063 | 0.41% | 0.52% |
| Ribston Pippin | SHARP | 1060 | 0.67% | 0.11% |
| Rosemary's Russet | SHARP | 1055 | 0.86% | 0.07% |
| Slack Ma Girdle | LATE SWEET | 1052 | 0.24% | 0.14% |
| Sops in Wine | BITTERSWEET | 1065 | 0.19% | 0.13% |
| Stoke Red | BITTERSHARP | 1052 | 0.64% | 0.31% |
| Sweet Alford | LATE SWEET | 1052 | 0.20% | 0.18% |
| Sweet Coppin | MID SEASON SWEET | 1052 | 0.20% | 0.14% |
| Ten Commandments | SUB ACID DUAL | 1055 | 0.18% | 0.13% |
| Three Counties (New) | BITTERSWEET | 1057 | 0.20% | 0.30% |
| Tina (New) | FULL BITTERSWEET | 1055 | 0.18% | 0.25% |
| Tom Putt | SHARP | 1044 | 0.67% | 0.11% |
| Tremletts Bitter | BITTERSWEET | 1052 | 0.27% | 0.34% |
| Vicky (New) | BITTERSWEET | 1049 | 0.15% | 0.14% |
| Vilberie | FULL BITTERSWEET | 1062 | 0.23% | 0.50% |
| Yarlington Mill | BITTERSWEET | 1052 | 0.22% | 0.32% |
Data from Liz Copas - The New Pomona and WSU Cider Peformance Database