Australian Cider Award winners announced
18 Nov 2022
Cider Australia has announced the winners of the 2022 Australian Cider Awards at a gala dinner this evening at Lot 100 in the Adelaide Hills.
William Smith & Sons from the Huon Valley in Tasmania won Best in Show, the Best Traditional Cider and Most Successful Larger Producer trophies, with their Heritage Blend Apple Cider wowing the judges with its deep apple characters, balanced tannins and lingering, bold finish.
Hosted by Cider Australia and supported by a dedicated team of volunteers, the Awards promotes and rewards excellence in cider production. This is the 11th national show and the first presentation event to be held in South Australia.
President of Cider Australia Warwick Billings said running the 2022 Awards to its traditional Spring schedule and with an international guest judge – Yann Gilles from France – was a significant achievement in a climate of ongoing disruption and uncertainty.
A field of 212 Australian and international entries across 24 classes was judged by a panel of respected industry professionals led by chief judge Sebastian Crowther MS of Real Wines. Nine gold medals and eight trophies were awarded.
2022 Australian Cider Award Trophy winners:
Best in Show: William Smith & Sons with Heritage Blend Apple Cider (TAS)
Best New World Cider: The Hills Cider Company with Apple Cider (SA)
Best Traditional Cider: William Smith & Sons with Heritage Blend Apple Cider (TAS)
Best Perry: Core Cider with Perilous 2020 (WA)
Best Specialty Cider or Perry: Roleystone Brewing Co with Rosé Cheeks (WA)
Best Intensified / Distilled Cider or Perry: Carmel Cider Company with Apple Brandy (WA)
Most Successful Small Producer: LOBO Juice and Cider (SA)
Most Successful Larger Producer: William Smith & Sons (TAS)
Cider Australia also honours individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the Australian cider industry over a prolonged period of time through its Champion of the Industry Award. This Award was presented to Andrew Lea from the UK.
A full list of award and medal winners can be found here.
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Media enquiries
Contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.
About Cider Australia
Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by cider businesses and sponsors, established in 2012. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policy makers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry, and runs the national cider conference AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.
About the Awards
The 2022 Australian Cider Awards is the largest cider competition in Australia and is leading the standardisation and improvement of cider judging across Australia. The judging of the 2022 Awards was held on 7-8 November 2022 at the William Angliss Institute in Melbourne. The panel comprised 7 full judges and 4 associates, bringing expertise from across the alcoholic beverage industry including:
- chair Sebastian Crowther (Real Wines)
- international guest Yann Gilles (Malus & Vitis consulting, France)
- Nyall Condon (Flying Brick Cider Co)
- Lucy Maddox (Forest Dweller Wines)
- Vanessa Altmann (Mighty Craft)
- Dr Soumi Paul Mukhopadhyay (NSW Department of Primary Industries)
- Dale Cooper (Wine Domaine)
- Jason Hirsch (Dan Murphy’s)
- Emma Penny (cicerone student)
2022 Best in Class Winners
Class | Best in Class |
Class 1 – New World Cider Dry | Lucidity Sturmer Pippin Apple Cider William Smith & Sons, Tasmania, Australia |
Class 2 – New World Cider Medium | Apple Cider The Hills Cider Company, South Australia, Australia |
Class 3 – New World Cider Medium Sweet | Perth Cider Funk Cider, Western Australia, Australia |
Class 4 – New World Cider Sweet | Royal Apple Cider Mock Red Hill, Victoria, Australia |
Class 5 – New World Cider Mt (Disgorged) | Bradys Lookout Cider 2018 Heritage Blend Mt Cuvee 12 Bradys Lookout Cider, Tasmania, Australia |
Class 6 – Traditional Cider Dry | LOBO Lenswulf LOBO Juice And Cider, South Australia, Australia |
Class 7 – Traditional Cider Medium | Heritage Blend Apple Cider William Smith & Sons, Tasmania, Australia |
Class 8 – Traditional Cider Medium Sweet | Plenty Cornucopia 2021 Plenty Cider , Tasmania, Australia |
Class 9 – Traditional Cider Sweet | Not Awarded |
Class 10 – Traditional Cider Mt (Disgorged) | MC Cider Flying Brick Cider Co , Victoria, Australia |
Class 11 – Speciality Styles Apple And Pear Blends | LOBO Apple And Pear LOBO Juice And Cider, South Australia, Australia |
Class 21 – New World Perry Dry | Upside Down Miss Jane 3 Sons Cider, Australian Capital Territory |
Class 22 – New World Perry Medium | Pear Cider The Hills Cider Company, South Australia, Australia |
Class 23 – New World Perry Medium Sweet | Squashed Pear Cider The Barossa Valley Cider Company, South Australia, Australia |
Class 24 – New World Perry Sweet | Spreyton Pear Cider Spreyton Cider Co, Tasmania, Australia |
Class 25 – New World Perry Mt (Disgorged) | St Ronan’s Methode Traditional Pear Cider Edgar Pines, Victoria, Australia |
Class 26 – Traditional Perry Dry | Old Twelfth Perry Old Twelfth, Tasmania, Australia |
Class 27 – Traditional Perry Medium | Not Awarded |
Class 28 – Traditional Perry Medium Sweet | Not Awarded |
Class 29 – Traditional Perry Sweet | Not Awarded |
Class 30 – Traditional Perry Mt (Disgorged) | Core Cider Perilous 2020 Core Cider, Western Australia, Australia |
Class 31 – Speciality Styles Experimental Cider Or Perry | Bilpin Non Alc Apple Ginger Bilpin Cider Co, New South Wales, Australia |
Class 33 – Speciality Styles Cider Or Perry With Fruit | Rosè Cheeks Roleystone Brewing Co, Western Australia |
Class 34 – Speciality Styles Lighter Strength Cider Or Perry | Darkes Perry Glenbernie Orchard T/As Darkes Cider, NSW, Australia |
Class 35 – Specialty Styles Cider Or Perry With Herbs\Spices | Galaxy Hopped Apple Cider Mismatch Brewing Co, South Australia, Australia |
Class 41 – Intensified And Distilled Styles Ice Cider Or Perry |
Not Awarded |
Class 42 – Intensified And Distilled Styles Pommeau | Harcourt Pommeau Harcourt Perry & Cider Makers, Victoria, Australia |
Class 43 – Intensified And Distilled Styles Eau De Vie | Eau De Vie Carmel Cider Company, Western Australia |
Class 44 – Intensified And Distilled Styles Aged Spirit | Apple Brandy Carmel Cider Company, Western Australia |