Herefordshire cider and perry maker Oliver’s has released what is thought to be the rarest and oldest perry in the world.
More than two decades in the making, The Last Hurrah was made by retired perry maker Kevin Minchew, of Gloucestershire, in 2001. Finally brought to light 23 years after the pears were picked, this naturally sparkling perry is now available to be purchased, enjoyed, and marvelled at.
Kevin’s is a name not known far and wide, but, in his heyday, he produced some spectacularly expressive perries. He relished the use of old oak whisky casks and sourced select perry pears from named, and frequently rare, trees, in orchards scattered across Gloucestershire and the surrouding area.
The Last Hurrah is a perry that honours Kevin, the Moorcroft perry pear (also known as Stinking Bishop in many parts of Gloucestershire), his old oak whisky barrels, and time. Lots of time.
The Moorcroft perry pears were picked from a stand of trees at Gorse Hill Abbey, near Broadway, Worcestershire, in the October of 2001, after a particularly long warm summer. Kevin then milled and pressed the pears, followed by a long, slow, spontaneous fermentation by wild yeasts in the old oak whisky barrels through the winter of 2001.
In the spring of 2002, the perry was bottled with the addition of the ‘liqueur du tirage’, a blend of sugar, yeast, and nutrients to achieve a secondary fermentation in bottle. The records of the exact blend have been lost to time, as were the bottles, which were secreted away when Kevin ceased perry making until…
…July 2024, when frantic phone calls took place between Kevin, Gabe Cook (The Ciderologist) and Tom Oliver (perry maker from Herefordshire). The barn where Kevin had stashed this treasured perry was about to be demolished, time was tight, and a rescue mission was hatched and duly executed.
‘Testament to the miracle of time’
Some 1,000 bottles saw the light of day for the first time in 22 years. Flushed with the success of this rescue mission on this warm summer’s day in July 2024, Kevin, Tom, Gabe, Stewart (Kevin’s brother), Neil, and Adam gathered to taste this perry that had lain untouched for more than two decades. Analysis had revealed an alcohol level of 11% and an SG of below 1.000. This was going to be quite the experience and it did not disappoint.
No spoilers here. This is a bottle-fermented perry that never reached its final destination of disgorgement at Three Choirs Vineyard. Instead, it has remained ‘sur lees’ for a long, long time. The resulting drink is testament to the miracle of time, the class of the Moorcroft perry pear, the warm embrace of the whisky barrel, but most of all to the skill and passion of the finest of perry makers.
Stockists include The Fine Cider Co, Hard Pressed Cider Distribution, Pig’s Ears West, and Oliver’s Cider and Perry.
