New World Perry is made from culinary/table pears.
Overall Impression
Mild. Medium to medium-sweet. Still to lightly sparkling. Only very slight acetification is acceptable. Mousiness, ropy/oily characters are serious faults.
Appearance
Slightly cloudy to clear. Generally quite pale.
Aroma / Flavor
There is a pear character, but not obviously fruity. It tends toward that of a young white wine. No bitterness.
Mouthfeel
Relatively full, low to moderate tannin apparent as astringency.
Characteristic Ingredients
Apple Varieties: Bartlett, Kiefer, Comice, Conference, etc.
Entry Instructions
Entrants MUST specify carbonation level (3 levels). Entrants MUST specify sweetness (5 categories).
Vital Statistics
OG
1.050 - 1.060
FG
1.000 - 1.020
ABV
5% - 7%
Comments
Some table pears may contain significant amounts of sorbitol, in which case a dry perry may give an impression of sweetness due to sorbitol in the pears. Perception of sorbitol as sweet is highly variable from one person to the next. Hence, entrants should specify sweetness according to actual residual sugar amount, and judges must be aware that they might perceive more sweetness than how the perry was entered.