Spirit
Calvados
Calvados is the apple brandy of Normandy in north-west France — distilled from fermented cider (and a measure of perry, or pear cider) and aged in oak — ranging from bright, fresh and orchard-fruity in its youth to deep, spicy and leathery when old. Faintly sweet, dry and warming, it leads with baked apple over vanilla, oak and dried fruit, and is drunk as both an aperitif and an after-dinner digestif.
Dry & cleanSpirit-forward
At a glance
Signature
Apple & Vanilla
Balsamic
Strength
Spirit-forward
by taste profile
Faintly sweet, dry and warming, Calvados leads with apple — fresh, crisp green apple in young bottlings, baked and caramelised apple in old ones — wrapped in vanilla, toffee and oak from the cask, with pear and dried-fruit depth and a warming cinnamon-and-spice edge. The texture is light and spirituous with an alcohol warmth at around 40 to 42 percent, and the finish is long and orchard-fruity, turning leathery, nutty and mellow in aged Hors d'Age and XO grades.
Taste balance
BitternessSmooth
SmoothBitter
StrengthStrong
LightStrong