How about a boutique cherry cider marked for the lucrative Hong Kong market, distinctive for its "hint of ashtray"?

Key points: Tasmania's summer of bushfires is still affecting farmers, with cherry growers the latest to discover their crop has been tainted

Tasmania's summer of bushfires is still affecting farmers, with cherry growers the latest to discover their crop has been tainted Pagan Cider had plans to export cherry cider to Hong Kong but dumped them after finding the cherry juice had an ashy flavour

Pagan Cider had plans to export cherry cider to Hong Kong but dumped them after finding the cherry juice had an ashy flavour A Tasmanian distiller is looking to use the cherry juice at its smoky worst for brandy

The export market-targeted brew has left a sour taste behind, and won't be touching international palettes.

Pagan Cider, based in Cygnet in Hobart, has been forced to put its planned business venture to Hong Kong on hold after 36,000 litres of cherry juice was found to be tainted by smoke following the disastrous January bushfires that ravaged three major areas in Tasmania.

But the bitter discovery was not made until after the juice was fermented.

Pagan Cider's Harry Moses is looking for a use for 36,000 litres of smoke-tainted cherry juice. ( ABC News: Ainsley Koch )

"You should get a hint of ashtray in the background there," Pagan Cider's Harry Moses said, as the sample was washed around the mouth for a full appreciation.

"It's only when you ferment [the juice] and you use up the sugar molecule, and free up the smoke molecules, that you will be able to detect it.

"The receptors in your mouth will pick up the smoke, and its very much like an ashtray … and who wants to drink an ashtray?"

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Pagan Cider is known across Tasmania and mainland Australia for its playful take on alcoholic beverages.

It features signature ciders using cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apples, pears, apricots, peaches and even quince.

Mr Moses began exporting his cider to Thailand in February, and had planned to ship his signature cherry brew to Hong Kong.

But he was forced to put those plans on hold amid depleting stock going into the next cherry picking season.

"We have said that we would love to obviously export to Hong Kong, but we can't take any orders [until] after the next cherry season," he said.

Cherry supplier surprised at smoke damage

Matthew Griggs and his family have owned Lucaston Park Orchards in Tasmania's Huon Valley for more than 20 years.

They grow fresh fruit for a number of local businesses, including Pagan Cider.

Mr Griggs harvested his cherries at the height of the regions devastating summer bushfires, and found no trace of smoke.

While Mr Griggs tested the fresh cherries and determined they were suitable to distribute, he said it was a shock to discover his produce was affected.

Matthew Griggs was surprised by the amount of damage. ( ABC News: Ainsley Koch )

"By the time they made the juice and did some trial fermentations, it was a couple of months after the bushfires that we actually found there was a major issue with that stock," he said.

"We were quite surprised when we found out the extent of the smoke taint."

Smoky brew could be of use as brandy

But Mr Moses said he remained optimistic another use could be found for the juice, and said Hobart based distillery Captain Blighs had plans to make a smoky brandy.

"They are looking to see if they can get a smokiness similar to a peated brandy out of these cherries after fermentation," he said.

"They want to distill straight after fermenting, when the smoky flavours are at their worst … so they're very keen to give it a go.

"It would be a good thing to see that this juice doesn't go to waste."

'Still a buoyant feeling': fruit industry

Stuart Burgess, the CEO of Fruit Growers Tasmania, said it was concerning some businesses were still feeling the impact of the fires six months on.

Stuart Burgess expects no lasting impact from the smoke contamination. ( ABC Rural Tony Briscoe )

"The Huon Valley is where it all started in terms of food production and it continues to this day, whether it be apples, cider or berries," he said.

"You can't underestimate how important those businesses are."

But Mr Burgess said he was confident the industry would bounce back.

"Whilst it was a very tough and trying season, there's still a buoyant feeling in the industry, we've basically got apples going in being planted we've got crops coming off and moving towards expanding our export markets in cherries as well," he said.

"It's a pretty exciting time in the fruit sector," he said.