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According to statistics, in Lower Normandy today there are about 10 thousand producers of Calvados. Of these, approximately 450 farms produce this aged fruit (apple or apple-pear) brandy on an industrial scale.
As you yourself understand, a review of the products of even these latter will take more than one hundred pages and will be of interest to professional tasters rather than ordinary lovers of alcoholic beverages.
Therefore, Shake it up to offer you a small section that characterizes the diverse brands of Calvados, as well as some of their manufacturers.
Learn more about Calvados.
Calvados Pierre Magloire: variety and quality
Brand Pierre Magloire (Pere Magloire) – is rightfully considered the king among the producers of Calvados. This distillery, named after a creative and charming Norman innkeeper who appreciated pleasant company, cheerful conversation and excellent apple brandy, produces numerous XNUMX-proof Calvados varieties covering the whole age range of the drink.
Pere Magloire Fine – a two-year-old drink created by a single distillation. It has a very bright apple flavor and light amber color. Easily recognizable thanks to the characteristic green glass bottle.
Father Magloire VSOP (marking VSOT means at least a four-year aging period of the drink) – combines traditionally first-class raw materials and double distillation. This digestif Normandy drink has a floral flavor and a pleasant chestnut color. Any connoisseur will immediately recognize him on the store shelf, seeing the familiar yellow bottle.
Pere Magloire XO (aging period of six years) – scarlet calvados with a floral hue and vanilla and berry notes in taste. This wonderful double distillation product is hidden in dark glass bottles.
Pere Magloire 12 year is a serious example of a one-time distillation. By the way, 12 years of age is considered ideal for Calvados produced by continuous distillation. You can see for yourself by evaluating the combination of a mild taste with almond, citrus, woody and, of course, apple notes, and a rich aroma, where, in addition to the apple leitmotif, nutty, banana and spice undertones are guessed. This golden brown drink is also framed in an elegant dark glass bottle.
Pere Magloire Isadora Extra is a fifteen-year-old blend dedicated to the famous ballerina Isidora Duncan. It attracts with a combination of sunny amber color, the aroma of apple orchards and a designer rectangular decanter.
Pere Magloire 20 year – nothing more than a masterful blend of separately aged spirits obtained by continuous and double distillation. A drink of this class is beyond the bounds of generalizing organoleptic perception. Perhaps every lucky person who had the opportunity to join him, discover for himself special, completely unique taste and aromatic shades.
In addition, in the assortment of the house of Pierre Magloire there are drinks whose age reaches forty and even fifty years. But one does not raise one’s hand about such, truly, transcendent things of the grand reserve class.
Calvados Chevalier de Touche Fine
Although the Chevalier des Touches drink, which belongs to the popular Fine category, is produced under the auspices of the solid family house Christian Drouin and is exported to 40 countries around the world, it seems that the manufacturer does not care much about its prestige. This three-year-old forty-degree drink is too light, besides, it has absolutely no woody aftertaste. We believe that acquaintance with Calvados through the mentioned drink can deceive the optimistic expectations of beginners.
Calvados Bular – a tribute to family traditions
Boulard distillery, or rather Boulard, founded in the distant 1825 by Pierre Auguste Boulard, is a classic example of an old family house, for which keeping the brand is a matter of honor. Today, the company continues to produce high-quality drinks under the leadership of a descendant of the founder of the company: Vincent Bulyard. It should be noted that all brands of Calvados produced by the masters of this house are famous for their rich and long aftertaste.
Boulard Grand Solage – a solid blend of fine class. It has a golden-copper color, an apple-vanilla aroma and a slightly harsh, rich apple flavor.
Boulard VSOP – a harsh drink, claiming some aristocracy. Its distinctive features are: sunny amber color, apple-woody aroma with hints of toasted nuts and freshly baked sweet buns, as well as a fairly balanced taste with woody motifs and a hint of vanilla and dried fruit. According to connoisseurs, the drink evokes a slight nostalgia for the last days of the outgoing summer.
Boulard XO – a noble digestive drink. It is distinguished by a rich amber color, apple-vanilla aroma with hints of oak bark and a balanced taste of ripe apple fruits, set off by hints of spices and hazelnuts.
Boulard-Auguste – named after the founder of the brand. The fruity-vanilla flavor of the drink is strongly associated with homemade apple pie. In the flavor range, motifs of cinnamon, candied fruits, almonds and dried fruits are easily guessed, united by a woody counterpoint.
Boulard Extra – is considered the pinnacle of the art of local craftsmen over the cellars. This little masterpiece combines a fruity-spicy aroma with a hint of flowers and a rounded taste of caramelized apples.
Calvados Derbent – a funny curiosity
The drink produced by the Derbent Brandy Factory cannot be considered Calvados for many reasons. It not only has nothing to do with Normandy, but is also made from local Dagestan apples; and besides, it is aged in a barrel for no more than six months. Although, if you want to sip something apple and stronger, this home-grown decoction will be quite appropriate.
How to choose Calvados
It should be noted that in the post-Soviet space, calvados, due to its relatively low popularity, becomes an object of forgery much less often than the same cognac. However, this does not mean that we are completely free from such incidents. Accordingly, when purchasing this Normandy drink, one should remember some generally accepted rules.
It is necessary to conduct an external analysis of the label and excise stamp. Both should be glued evenly, without traces of glue on the paper, and the label should also be printed with high quality.
You should take a closer look at the same label. It must clearly indicate such parameters as the barcode of the country of origin (in this case, France), the name of the brand, its age and one of the three possible sub-regions of origin (Calvados Pays d’Auge, AOC calvados or Calvados Domfrontais) .
Finally, you need to pay attention to the color of the drink. As a rule, these are various shades of amber: from sunny golden to darkish brown.
And, of course, do not look for real Calvados among the dubious cheap bottles on the shelves of no less dubious mini-markets. Respect yourself and the good Normandy distillers.
2 recipes for calvados
Relevance: 25.11.2016
Tags: brandy and cognac