Tom Oliver is delightfully talented, mischievously witty, and not only a renowned cider maker but also a top-notch perry maker. He may say, "If you're going to make perry and work with pears, you've already identified yourself as being criminally insane," but what we found was simply a bold maker willing to go the extra mile for every bottle.
Enjoy this audio snap shot at Oliver's Cider and Perry Herefordshire, recorded on the 2025 Totally Cider Tour_UK Edition. Hear him share the story behind transforming his family's old hop barns into the heart of his cider and perry production, offering listeners a rare look into his traditional farmhouse methods. He discusses the challenges and joys of working with tannic cider apples and perry pears, spontaneous fermentation, barrel aging, and the evolving climate's impact on cider making.
Tom has been featured in many Cider Chat® episodes and will be one of the select scheduled stops on the 2026 UK Blossom Time Totally Cider Tour.
00:00 Introduction to Perry and Cider Making
00:17 Meet the Host and Guest
00:57 Totally Cider Tour Experience
03:28 Challenges of Perry Making
04:11 Foraging and Traditional Perry Making
05:09 The Importance of Known Varieties
06:28 Cider Preferences and Quality
07:43 Totally Cider Tours - UK
10:18 Tom Oliver's Cidery Tour
11:47 Barrel Room Insights
13:08 Perry and Cider Fermentation
14:35 Pressing and Storing Fruit
15:51 Unique Perry Varieties
21:48 Barrel Aging and Tasting
25:03 Introduction to Fermentation
25:49 Wild Fermentation Process
27:11 Saccharomyces Yeast Role
28:34 Fermentation Containers and Aging
29:26 Bottling and Release Plans
29:44 Fermentation Under Pressure
32:28 Temperature and Duration of Fermentation
33:43 Challenges with Temperature Control
36:31 Barrel Cleaning and Maintenance
38:27 Regulations and Environmental Concerns
40:54 Conclusion and Future Plans
Topics Covered
- The transformation of Oliver's hop barns into barrel rooms
- The shift from hops (Fuggles, Northdown, Target) to cider and perry fruit
- Why perry making is "a walk through madness" compared to cider
- The discipline of pressing and storing tannic pears at their peak
- Wild fermentation: apiculate vs. Saccharomyces yeast and how they shape flavor
- Barrel aging as both art and alchemy
- The sensory nuance of minerality and mouthfeel
- Keepin
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