The olive taste test: Apple cider vinegar

We put branded products to the test so you know which ones to choose. This month, we tried different apple cider vinegars to see which came out on top

WHAT IS APPLE CIDER VINEGAR?

Simply put, it’s vinegar made from fermented apple juice. The juice is fermented into cider, after which a vinegar mother (a gelatinous blob of friendly bacteria) is added. This feeds on the alcohol and sugars, creating acetic acid as a by-product. Apple cider vinegar is often advertised as being sold ‘with the mother’ – this means it is unfiltered and will contain more of the enzymes and gut-friendly bacteria.

HOW WE TESTED

We tasted each vinegar on its own, looking for a pronounced apple flavour, smoothness, balance of sugar and acid, and its ‘length’ – how long the flavour stays on your tongue.

RAW organic apple cider vinegar, £5.75 (1 litre)

Very vinegary with little pronounced apple or cider flavour. Not a huge amount of sweetness, either.

5/10

Aspall organic apple cyder vinegar, £2.60 (500ml)

This has little apple flavour – if we didn’t know otherwise, we wouldn’t have known it was made from the fruit. But it is a smooth, balanced vinegar. 

6/10

Biona Organic cider vinegar, £2.69 (500ml)

This has an aroma and initial flavour of Breton cider – oaky, with farmyard and fermented notes. Sadly, that fades to a very vinegary flavour – almost malt vinegar in its profile. 

6/10

Bragg organic apple cider vinegar, £6.99 (473ml)

A good vinegar. Strong cider aromas on the nose, with a deep, long flavour. A big initial hit of vinegar that then mellows, with a touch of sweetness. 

7/10

Osu apple cider vinegar, £7 (500ml)

We juggled with whether to include this or not, as it’s actually apple cider vinegar mixed with juice. But its flavour swayed us: sweet, sour and syrupy like balsamic vinegar but with deep apple flavour. Great with oil for dipping bread into. 

8/10

Willy’s organic apple cider vinegar, £6.95 (500ml)

This has a kombucha-like, fermented smell on the nose, with a real roundness. A big punch of apple cider flavour, excellent balance of sweet and sour, and the best length of the bunch. A stand-out winner. 

9/10 overall winner