Broken Ladder's cider family has triplets

When BC Tree Fruits launched its Broken Ladder brand of apple cider last year, it made the intelligent decision to have winemaker Bertus Albertyn make the cider.

Bertus is one of the owners, and the winemaker, at Maverick Estate Winery (midway between Oliver and Osoyoos). Trained in South Africa, Bertus is a very fine winemaker.

It turns out that he also is a fine cider maker.

Broken Ladder is on the market this year with three ciders - two made with apples and one with peaches. This year, the cans bear the signature of Bertus Albertyn.

All bear the imprint of his style - the ciders are professionally faultless.

And they are good value, selling for $10.99 (plus tax) for a four pack of 473 ml cans.

Here are my notes:

Broken Ladder Apples & Hops:  By adding a dash of hops to the flavour, the winemaker has added considerable complexity to this crisp cider. The clean apple flavours have been enhanced with a note of bitterness. This is the cider for IPA drinkers. 89.

Broken Ladder Apple: Crisply dry and refreshing, this cider is bursting with fresh from the orchard flavours. Good acidity gives this tangy cider a clean and lively finish. 90

Broken Ladder Pears: This is a crisp and refreshing cider. It has aromas and flavours of pear, as one would expect, with a hint of citrus to give it a tangy finish. The active bubbles add to the lively texture and flavour. The finish is dry. 90.