What Is Medium Cider?
Right in the middle of the cider sweetness scale, Medium cider is often where balance becomes the interesting bit.
Medium doesn't mean ordinary.
It simply means the cider sits somewhere around the middle of the sweetness scale.
You'll normally notice more sweetness than you would in Dry or Medium Dry cider, but it shouldn't overwhelm the apple character.
That makes Medium cider a useful place to start if you're still working out which styles you prefer.
But don't mistake easy to enjoy for all tasting the same.
What makes Medium cider appealing?
For many drinkers, it's the balance between noticeable sweetness and the flavour of the cider underneath it.
Being in the middle isn't a criticism.
Medium cider can be light and refreshing, richer and more traditional, or somewhere between the two.
What matters is how the sweetness works with the apples, acidity and overall character of the cider.
A well-balanced Medium cider shouldn't simply taste sweet.
There should still be plenty of cider going on underneath.
Why can two Medium ciders taste so different?
Because the word Medium tells you only roughly where the cider sits for sweetness.
The apples
Different apples and different blends bring different flavours, body and character to the finished cider.
The sweetness
Two Medium ciders can both sit in the same general part of the scale while still feeling noticeably different in the glass.
The maker
Different cider makers have different styles, methods and ideas about what a balanced Medium cider should be.
Medium on the cider sweetness scale
Pretty much where you'd expect it.
Medium sits between Medium Dry and Medium Sweet, giving you noticeable sweetness without taking you all the way to the sweeter end of the range.
Is Medium cider the safe choice?
It can be an accessible choice. That's not quite the same thing.
Medium cider can be a good starting point for someone who doesn't yet know whether they prefer the drier or sweeter end of the range.
But there are still plenty of different apples, makers and styles to explore within Medium itself.
One might be light and straightforward. Another could be fuller, richer and much more traditional.
The word Medium gets you into the right neighbourhood. It doesn't tell you which house you're going to like.
Want to compare all the cider styles?
See where Medium sits alongside Dry, Medium Dry, Medium Sweet and Sweet.
Choose how you want to explore it.
Pick your own bottles from the current Medium cider range, start with six, or explore a full 12-bottle case.
Choose Your Own
Browse the current Medium cider range and choose the individual bottles you want to try.
Shop Medium Cider Bottles6 Medium Ciders
A smaller curated selection for discovering Medium cider — for yourself or to send as a gift.
Explore 6 Medium Ciders12 Medium Ciders
A fuller curated case for exploring the style and discovering how different Medium ciders can be.
Explore 12 Medium CidersMedium is a starting point, not a flavour.
The label tells you roughly how sweet the cider should feel.
The apples, maker and way it's been made decide a lot of the rest.
So if you've tried one Medium cider and thought it was a bit unremarkable, don't write off the whole category.
Try another one.
You may find the middle of the scale is much more interesting than it first sounds.