When Victor Revillon founded Manoir d'Apreval in the early 1900s, on the coast between Honfleur and Trouville, he could not have known that his descendants, three generations of women, would one day be holding a bottle of calvados distilled in 1967.

Expert description

Apreval Calvados 1967 Vintage 50 Years Old is a French Calvados from a single vintage, bottled at 51%.

This calvados comes from the 1967 harvest and rested in cask for fifty years before bottling. Manoir d'Apreval sits on the coast at Pennedepie between Honfleur and Deauville, and has been run by three generations of women from the Revillon family since the early 1900s, today by Agathe Lettelier. Apples and pears are grown organically on the estate's own orchards, and the calvados is double distilled in the traditional Pays d'Auge method before being laid directly into oak casks for long ageing.

Tasting notes

Nose

Deep and complex, with dried fruit, walnut and a hint of leather.

Palate

Intense and warm, with dark fruit compote, spice and a long, full structure.

Finish

Very long, with spice, oak and dried fruit lingering well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Apreval Calvados 1967 Vintage
Distillery: Manoir d'Apreval
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
Age: 50 years
ABV: 51%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Distillation method: Double distilled
Distilled: 1967

Flavour profile

Intense · Deep · Spiced · Complex

Investment potential

High. A single-vintage calvados with fifty years of ageing from a small, family-run house is extremely rare, and bottles like this tend to disappear from the market as they are consumed or collected.

Did you know?

Manoir d'Apreval has been run by three generations of women in succession – Victor Revillon's wife, his granddaughter, and today his great-granddaughter, Agathe Lettelier – which remains unusual in an industry historically dominated by men.

See our full range of Calvados

1989 was the year the Berlin Wall fell – and that same year, Manoir d'Apreval laid down a calvados that was only judged ready for the bottle eighteen years later.

Expert description

Apreval Calvados 1989 Vintage 18 Years Old is a French Calvados from a single vintage, bottled at 42%.

This calvados comes from the 1989 harvest and spent eighteen years in oak casks at Manoir d'Apreval, a family-run estate on the coast at Pennedepie between Honfleur and Deauville. The estate has been run by three generations of women from the Revillon family since the early 1900s and grows its apples and pears organically. The calvados is double distilled in the traditional Pays d'Auge method, which together with the long ageing gives it a warm, golden colour and a rich aromatic character.

Tasting notes

Nose

Ripe apples, honey and a lightly spiced oak note.

Palate

Round and warm, with apple compote, caramel and soft spice.

Finish

Long, where spice and ripe apple linger together.

Specifications

Name: Apreval Calvados 1989 Vintage
Distillery: Manoir d'Apreval
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
Age: 18 years
ABV: 42%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Distillation method: Double distilled
Distilled: 1989

Flavour profile

Round · Warm · Spiced · Golden

Investment potential

Medium. A single-vintage calvados from a small, family-run house is scarcer than most blended expressions, though it does not carry the same rarity as the house's older 1967 vintage.

Did you know?

Manoir d'Apreval grows its apples and pears using organic farming – a practice still relatively rare among the traditional calvados houses of Normandy.

See our full range of Calvados

In the heart of the Pays d'Auge, where apple trees stand closer together than almost anywhere else in Normandy, the family behind Berneroy has distilled calvados since 1944 with one simple aim: to capture the apple's freshness before the cask makes it heavy.

Expert description

Berneroy Fine is a French Calvados aged in French oak casks and bottled at 40%.

Fine is the youngest and freshest expression in the Berneroy range, made from calvados aged two to three years. Berneroy traces its roots to 1944, when it began as part of the Camus family of spirit houses, and since 2019 the Norwegian Soerlie family has run the distillery as an independent calvados house in the Pays d'Auge. Fine is built to show the apple in its most direct form, before the weight of long cask ageing takes over.

Tasting notes

Nose

Crisp, green apple with a hint of pear and soft floral notes underneath.

Palate

Crunchy and direct, with freshly picked apple and a mild sweetness, unburdened by heavy oak.

Finish

Short to medium, with apple as the clear final impression.

Specifications

Name: Berneroy Fine
Distillery: Berneroy
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: French oak casks
EAN no.: 3760304590146
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature or as the base of a Calvados Sour.

Flavour profile

Fresh · Fruity · Light · Apple-Forward

Did you know?

Berneroy was originally created in 1944 as part of Calvados Camus' family of brands, before being sold in 2019 to the Norwegian Soerlie family, who now run it as an independent house in Normandy.

See our full range of Berneroy

Ten years in cask is a long time for a calvados from the Pays d'Auge, and it shows clearly in Berneroy's XO, where the fresh apple has long since gained company from baked, darker notes.

Expert description

Berneroy XO is a French Calvados aged around ten years in fine French oak casks and bottled at 40%.

XO is the oldest and most complex expression in the Berneroy range, made from calvados with an average age of around ten years. The long ageing gives it a deeper, more layered character than VSOP and Fine, where baked apple and subtle oak notes play a bigger role. Berneroy runs its calvados house in the Pays d'Auge, where the brand traces its roots back to 1944.

Tasting notes

Nose

Baked apples, caramel and a light, smoky oak note.

Palate

Rich and complex, with dried fruit, vanilla and a touch of spice.

Finish

Long, with baked apple and warm oak lingering well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Berneroy XO
Distillery: Berneroy
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
Age: Around 10 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: French oak casks
EAN no.: 3760304590047
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass, ideally to close a meal.

Flavour profile

Complex · Baked Apple · Caramel · Spiced

Did you know?

Although Berneroy now runs as an independent house, the brand was originally created in partnership with Calvados Camus in 1944 and remained part of the great cognac house's portfolio for many years before being sold off in 2019.

See our full range of Berneroy

Where Grand Solage is Boulard's signature, XO is the house's answer to how far calvados can go given time – up to fourteen years in cask, blended with even older reserves from the cellar.

Expert description

Boulard Calvados XO is a French Calvados Pays d'Auge blended from eaux-de-vie aged up to fourteen years and bottled at 40%.

XO is the oldest standard expression from Boulard, where the youngest component is around eight years, blended with older reserves from the house's cellar. Boulard has distilled calvados in the Pays d'Auge since 1825 and today runs production under fifth-generation family ownership, still drawing on up to 120 different apple varieties.

Tasting notes

Nose

Amber-gold, with apple tart, vanilla and toasted almonds.

Palate

Full-bodied, with ripe apple, spice and nuts, remarkably smooth in texture.

Finish

Long and persistent, with apple and spice fading beautifully.

Specifications

Name: Boulard Calvados XO
Distillery: Boulard
Region/Country: Coquainvilliers, Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados Pays d'Auge
Age: Up to 14 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
EAN no.: 3152900001308
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass.

Flavour profile

Full-Bodied · Nutty · Spiced · Round

Did you know?

Boulard was founded by Pierre-Auguste Boulard in 1825 and is today run by fifth-generation Vincent Boulard, making it one of the oldest still family-owned calvados houses in Normandy.

See our full range of Boulard

Since 1825, the Boulard family has blended calvados from as many as 120 different apple varieties, sourced from 500 different orchards around Coquainvilliers. Grand Solage is the house's best-selling expression – a secret composition only the cellar master fully knows.

Expert description

Boulard Grand Solage is a French Calvados Pays d'Auge blended from eaux-de-vie aged two to five years and bottled at 40%.

Grand Solage is the world's best-selling calvados and the signature expression of Boulard, which has distilled in the Pays d'Auge since 1825. The cellar master blends calvados of different ages and character in secret proportions, so the result carries both fresh fruit and the golden depth that only comes from cask ageing. Boulard draws on up to 120 different apple varieties across 500 orchards.

Tasting notes

Nose

Golden apple, vanilla and lightly toasted oak.

Palate

Round and balanced, with ripe fruit and a soft vanilla sweetness.

Finish

Warm and persistent, with apple and oak lingering together.

Specifications

Name: Boulard Grand Solage
Distillery: Boulard
Region/Country: Coquainvilliers, Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados Pays d'Auge
Age: 2-5 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
EAN no.: 3152900001155
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature or as the base of classic calvados cocktails.

Flavour profile

Golden · Round · Vanilla · Balanced

Did you know?

Boulard is considered the world's best-selling calvados house, and Grand Solage is the expression that has made the brand known far beyond France's borders since 1825.

See our full range of Boulard

1974, Vimoutiers. The apple trees of the Pays d'Auge hung heavy that year, and somewhere in Normandy a distillery filled its vintage into cask, with no one knowing how many decades would pass before it was finally opened.

Expert's Description

Calvados Anée 1974 is a French Calvados from Normandy, bottled at 40%.

Behind the name Anée stands a distillery dating back to 1904, founded by Édouard Brière in Vimoutiers, at the heart of the Pays d'Auge, where apples have been turned into cider and then Calvados for generations. The label reads "Appellation Calvados Réglementée", and the bottle carries the seal of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Trou Normand, the old brotherhood founded in that very same Vimoutiers, which still champions the region's apple brandy and its traditions.

Anée acted as both distillateur and éleveur, meaning the house handled the distillation and the long ageing itself before the bottle was filled. It is a style of Calvados rarely encountered today: a distillery, a vintage and an era that belong to the past, kept alive mainly through the bottles collectors have looked after.

As a collector's bottle, Calvados Anée 1974 should be seen as a piece of Norman history rather than a guaranteed drink. We cannot vouch for the condition of the contents after more than 50 years in bottle, and it is sold as is, with no guarantee of flavour or drinkability.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Well-aged Calvados of this style typically offers ripe apple, a touch of dried fruit and light vanilla from long cask ageing — though these notes describe the style in general and are not based on tasting this exact bottle.

Palate

On the palate, this style of aged Calvados tends to show a round, gently sweet character with baked apple, a hint of honey and warm spice, carried by extended maturation.

Finish

The finish typically leans towards dry oak with a touch of nuttiness in classic old Calvados vintages of this kind.

Specifications

Name: Calvados Anée 1974
Distillery: Anée
Region/Country: Normandy, France
Type: Calvados
Vintage: 1974
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour Profile

Apple-Forward · Spiced · Oak-Driven · Vintage

Investment Potential

Medium. Anée is a historic distillery no longer in production, and a complete, well-preserved 1974 vintage carrying the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Trou Normand's seal is hard to come by. Interest centres on that exact combination of age, documented provenance and a distillery that no longer exists.

Did You Know?

The Confrérie des Chevaliers du Trou Normand was founded in 1966 in Vimoutiers itself — the same town as Anée. The brotherhood still keeps alive the old "trou normand" tradition: a small glass of Calvados drunk midway through a feast to make room for more courses, all under the motto "Bois peu, mais bon" — drink little, but good.

See our full selection of Calvados

Château du Breuil is not just a name on a label – it is a genuine, 400-year-old château in Le Breuil-en-Auge, where the copper stills stand today in cellars beneath the same walls that once housed Norman nobility.

Expert description

Chateau du Breuil Reserve du Chateau 8 Year Old is a French Calvados aged eight years in oak casks and bottled at 40%.

Château du Breuil has distilled calvados on its estate since 1954, when Philippe Bizouard bought the property to establish his own distillery. The calvados is double distilled in copper pot stills, as required in the Pays d'Auge, then aged at least eight years in oak casks in the château's cellars. Reserve du Château won Silver at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London in 2020.

Tasting notes

Nose

Baked apple, vanilla and light caramel, with hints of honey and almond.

Palate

Apple compote and toffee with a touch of spice and soft vanilla from the cask.

Finish

Medium length, with toasted oak and nuts fading softly.

Specifications

Name: Chateau du Breuil Reserve du Chateau 8 Year Old
Distillery: Château du Breuil
Region/Country: Le Breuil-en-Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
Age: 8 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Distillation method: Double distilled
EAN no.: 3103821704007
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass.

Flavour profile

Fruity · Nutty · Vanilla · Round

Did you know?

Château du Breuil is a protected historic monument dating from the 16th-17th century, and the château itself can be visited with guided tours and tastings in the old cellars where the calvados still ages today.

See our full range of Chateau du Breuil

Somewhere between cider and calvados sits pommeau – a Normandy tradition where the apple's sweetness is allowed to survive, because the calvados halts fermentation long before the sugar turns into more alcohol. Christian Drouin has been making it for decades, and the result feels closer to a sweet dessert wine than a classic spirit.

Expert description

Christian Drouin Pommeau de Normandie is a French Pommeau made from cider and calvados, bottled at 17%.

Pommeau is made by blending fresh apple must with calvados. The alcohol in the calvados stops the must from fermenting further, so the apple's natural sweetness stays in the bottle instead of turning into extra alcohol. Drouin's version combines roughly three parts apple must to one part calvados, and the blend rests for at least 14 months in oak before bottling. Pommeau is mainly produced in two French regions, Brittany and Normandy, and this bottle comes from Normandy, where the tradition runs deepest.

The drink is classically served as an aperitif, but it also works well alongside desserts or a strong cheese.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh apple with a touch of honey, backed by a light nutty note from the cask.

Palate

Sweet and full-bodied, with ripe apple must, caramelised sugar and a tart edge that keeps the sweetness in check.

Finish

Medium length and soft, with apple lingering alongside a gentle warmth from the calvados.

Specifications

Name: Christian Drouin Pommeau de Normandie
Distillery: Christian Drouin
Region/Country: Normandy, France
Type: Pommeau of Cider and Calvados
ABV: 17%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
EAN no.: 3297361770018
Serving suggestion: Serve chilled at 8-10°C in a tulip glass, as an aperitif or alongside foie gras, blue cheese or apple desserts.

Flavour profile

Sweet · Fruity · Full-Bodied · Slightly Tart

Did you know?

Pommeau is one of the few French drinks where the law requires the producer to make both the cider and the calvados that go into the blend themselves. Drouin therefore handles the entire process from apple to bottle within its own facilities in the Pays d'Auge.

See our full range of Christian Drouin

Fifteen years is the minimum before Comte Louis de Lauriston will call a calvados Hors d'Age – and in the granite soil around Domfront, time moves differently than in the clay of the Pays d'Auge.

Expert description

Comte Louis de Lauriston Hors d'Age is a French Calvados Domfrontais, column distilled and bottled at 42%.

Hors d'Age is the oldest and most complex expression in the Lauriston range, blended from eaux-de-vie aged a minimum of fifteen years. Like the rest of the house's range, it is made with a high proportion of pears alongside apples and distilled in a single pass, as the Domfrontais appellation requires. The long ageing gives it a depth and complexity that has earned the expression 92 points from the Austrian spirits magazine Falstaff.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried fruit, honey and a soft, spiced oak note.

Palate

Deep and round, with apple and pear compote and a touch of vanilla.

Finish

Long and warm, where spice and dried fruit linger together.

Specifications

Name: Comte Louis de Lauriston Hors d'Age
Distillery: Comte Louis de Lauriston
Region/Country: Domfront, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados Domfrontais
Age: Minimum 15 years
ABV: 42%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Distillation method: Single distilled in a column still
EAN no.: 3297364270218
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass, ideally as a digestif.

Flavour profile

Deep · Dried Fruit · Spiced · Complex

Did you know?

Comte Louis de Lauriston was founded in 1962 with the specific aim of legalising calvados distillation in the Domfront region, which until then had no officially recognised appellation of its own.

See our full range of Comte Louis de Lauriston

Between the fresh Fine and the aged Hors d'Age sits Lauriston's Réserve – a calvados that has had just enough time to round its edges, without losing the light, pear-driven character of Domfront.

Expert description

Comte Louis de Lauriston Reserve is a French Calvados Domfrontais, column distilled and bottled at 42%.

Réserve is blended from eaux-de-vie aged at least three years in oak casks, giving it more roundness and depth than the house's Fine expression, without reaching the long ageing of Hors d'Age. Like the rest of the Lauriston range, it is made from apples and a high proportion of pears from the Domfront area and distilled in a single pass, as the appellation requires.

Tasting notes

Nose

Ripe pear and apple, with a light vanilla note.

Palate

Round and fruity, with a soft sweetness and a touch of spice.

Finish

Medium length, with pear still clear in the final impression.

Specifications

Name: Comte Louis de Lauriston Reserve
Distillery: Comte Louis de Lauriston
Region/Country: Domfront, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados Domfrontais
Age: Minimum 3 years
ABV: 42%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Distillation method: Single distilled in a column still
EAN no.: 3297364270010
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature or as a cocktail base.

Flavour profile

Round · Pear-Forward · Fruity · Soft

Did you know?

The soil around Domfront is made of schist and granite, unlike the clay of the Pays d'Auge. This gives apples and pears that ripen differently, and a calvados with a lighter, more direct fruit character.

See our full range of Comte Louis de Lauriston

From the Los Altos highlands of Mexico comes Calle 23, a tequila made from blue Weber agave. At Christian Drouin, two used tequila casks were given the chance to meet a 10-year-old calvados – a pairing unlike anything else in the range.

Expert description

Experimental de Christian Drouin 10 Year Old Calvados Calle 23 Angels is a French Calvados finished in tequila casks from Calle 23 and bottled at 48.8%.

This release is Drouin's Expérimental Small Batch No. 5, where a 10-year-old Pays d'Auge calvados spent two rounds in old Calle 23 casks that had previously held tequila from the Los Altos region of Mexico, made from blue Weber agave. The calvados rested 13 months in the casks and then a further four months in the same casks, in pursuit of a balance between the agave character and the apple. Only 1,050 bottles were filled from this rare release.

Tasting notes

Nose

Walnut, olive and truffle, gradually giving way to white chocolate and stewed apple.

Palate

Full and powerful, where the agave's earthy character meets the calvados' apple core.

Finish

Medium length, with toasted almonds and a dry, lightly spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Experimental de Christian Drouin 10 Year Old Calvados Calle 23 Angels
Distillery: Christian Drouin
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
Age: 10 years
ABV: 48.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in tequila casks from Calle 23
Distillation method: Double distilled
Number of bottles: 1,050
Edition: Expérimental Small Batch No. 5, Calle 23 Angels
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass.

Flavour profile

Earthy · Nutty · Powerful · Spiced

Did you know?

Calle 23 is a tequila created by French spirits maker Sophie Decobecq, making this release a slightly unexpected French-Mexican encounter, where two entirely different agricultures – apples and agave – meet in a single bottle.

See our full range of Christian Drouin

Drouin and the Arran whisky distillery have swapped casks for twenty years. This time, six of Arran's own casks – originally on loan from Drouin's cellar – came home again, filled with a 13-year-old calvados.

Expert description

Experimental de Christian Drouin 13 Year Old Calvados Arran Angels is a French Calvados finished in whisky casks from the Arran distillery in Scotland and bottled at 46.9%.

This release is Drouin's Expérimental Small Batch No. 9. A 13-year-old Pays d'Auge calvados was placed in six casks that had previously aged whisky at the Lochranza distillery on Arran, Scotland, for a full seventeen years. The casks originally came from Drouin's own cellar, and the two houses have shared a friendship and a tradition of cask exchange for twenty years. After six months in the Arran casks, the calvados was bottled in a limited release of 1,992 bottles.

Tasting notes

Nose

Delicate, with apple, malt, apricot and a light pear sweetness.

Palate

Balanced between roundness and acidity, with a clear malt character from the whisky cask.

Finish

Medium length, with hazelnut and grain fading softly.

Specifications

Name: Experimental de Christian Drouin 13 Year Old Calvados Arran Angels
Distillery: Christian Drouin
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
Age: 13 years
ABV: 46.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in whisky casks from the Arran distillery
Distillation method: Double distilled
Number of bottles: 1,992
Edition: Expérimental Small Batch No. 9, Arran Angels
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass.

Flavour profile

Delicate · Malty · Fruity · Balanced

Did you know?

The casks behind this release had quite a journey: they began in Drouin's own cellar in Normandy, spent seventeen years in Scotland filled with Arran whisky, and finally returned home to end their working life with a calvados.

See our full range of Christian Drouin

Long Pond on Jamaica makes some of the most characterful rum in the Caribbean. At Christian Drouin, old casks from that very distillery were given six months to shape a 14-year-old calvados.

Expert description

Experimental de Christian Drouin 14 Year Old Calvados Plantation Long Pond Angels is a French Calvados finished in rum casks from the Long Pond distillery in Jamaica and bottled at 45%.

This release is Drouin's Expérimental Small Batch No. 4. A 14-year-old Pays d'Auge calvados spent seven months in old French oak casks that had previously held the celebrated Jamaican Long Pond ITP 1995 rum. The combination of Normandy's apple character and the rum's tropical depth was bottled in August 2021, in a limited release of only 1,890 bottles.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft, with brown sugar, melon and papaya, backed by apple.

Palate

Tropical and round, with ripe fruit and a light sweetness from the rum cask.

Finish

Medium length, where tropical fruit and apple meet in a soft close.

Specifications

Name: Experimental de Christian Drouin 14 Year Old Calvados Plantation Long Pond Angels
Distillery: Christian Drouin
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
Age: 14 years
ABV: 45%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in rum casks from the Long Pond distillery
Distillation method: Double distilled
Bottled: August 2021
Number of bottles: 1,890
Edition: Expérimental Small Batch No. 4, Long Pond Angels
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass.

Flavour profile

Tropical · Round · Fruity · Soft

Did you know?

Long Pond is one of Jamaica's oldest and most respected rum distilleries, known for its intense, ester-rich styles. Its casks give this calvados a tropical character rarely found in traditional Norman calvados.

See our full range of Christian Drouin

A closed distillery in Trinidad, a 17-year-old calvados from Normandy, and six used casks that crossed the Atlantic – that is the recipe behind one of the boldest releases in Christian Drouin's experimental range.

Expert description

Experimental de Christian Drouin 17 Year Old Calvados Caroni Angels is a French Calvados finished in rum casks from the closed Caroni distillery and bottled at 48.8%.

This release belongs to Drouin's Expérimental range, Small Batch No. 6, where a 17-year-old Pays d'Auge calvados spent eight months in six used casks that previously held rum from Caroni in Trinidad. The Caroni distillery closed in the early 2000s, and its casks have since become sought after for the powerful, oily character they impart. This batch yielded 1,506 bottles, bottled in August 2022.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dark, stewed apple and oily oak, with a touch of leather and burnt sugar.

Palate

Full and earthy, with farmhouse cider, burnt caramel and a lightly smoky edge.

Finish

Long and dark, where dried apricot and a hint of petroleum-like dryness linger.

Specifications

Name: Experimental de Christian Drouin 17 Year Old Calvados Caroni Angels
Distillery: Christian Drouin
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
Age: 17 years
ABV: 48.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in rum casks from the Caroni distillery
Distillation method: Double distilled
Bottled: August 2022
Number of bottles: 1,506
Edition: Expérimental Small Batch No. 6, Caroni Angels
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass, without ice.

Flavour profile

Bold · Oily · Smoky · Dark

Did you know?

Caroni casks are among the most discussed in the entire spirits world. Even though the distillery has been closed for over twenty years, its casks still appear in new releases, because they carry a character that fresh oak simply cannot replicate.

See our full range of Christian Drouin

In the old half-timbered farm buildings at Coudray-Rabut in the Pays d'Auge, three generations of the Drouin family have turned apples into calvados with quiet patience. Every now and then, though, a batch is sent off on a detour first – this time into six old rum casks from Martinique that still carry the scent of sugar cane and Caribbean sun.

Expert description

Experimental de Christian Drouin 10 Year Old Rhum JM VSOP Cask Small Batch No 7 is a French Calvados finished in rum casks and bottled at 46.5%.

This bottling is the seventh release in Drouin's Expérimental range, where the distillery moves its classic Pays d'Auge calvados into casks that previously held other spirits, just to see what happens to the flavour. The base is a 10-year-old calvados that, after its usual time in oak, spends an extra eight months in six old rum casks. Those casks once held VSOP from J.M, one of the most respected houses producing rhum agricole on Martinique.

The rum cask pulls extra vanilla and sweetness out of the calvados and rounds off its structure, while the apple core underneath stays clearly recognisable. Only 1,536 bottles were filled from this release, bottled in August 2022.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla and brown sugar meet toasted bread, followed by baked apple and a touch of dried apricot. The rum cask adds a sweetness reminiscent of raw cane sugar.

Palate

Round and creamy, with more vanilla than a classic Drouin calvados. Ripe apples and caramel sit at the centre, while the cask lends a mild spiced edge.

Finish

Long, with a trace of molasses and warm oak, the apple still lingering right at the end.

Specifications

Name: Experimental de Christian Drouin 10 Year Old Rhum JM VSOP Cask Small Batch No 7
Distillery: Christian Drouin
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
Age: 10 years
ABV: 46.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in rum casks from J.M VSOP
Distillation method: Double distilled
Bottled: August 2022
Number of bottles: 1,536
Edition: Expérimental Small Batch No. 7
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass, with a few drops of water to open up the aromas.

Flavour profile

Fruity · Vanilla · Rum Cask · Round · Spiced

Did you know?

J.M is one of the few rum houses that still grows its own sugar cane on the fields surrounding the distillery on Martinique – a level of control usually only seen at the finest cognac houses when it comes to grapes. That heritage carries straight through into the casks used for this calvados.

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Trinidad's old Caroni distillery closed for good more than twenty years ago, but the casks that once held its thick, tarry rum are still finding new work elsewhere. At Christian Drouin, six of them were given six months to hold a 17-year-old calvados – and pushed it in a darker, entirely different direction.

Expert description

Experimental de Christian Drouin 17 Year Old Caroni Angels Small Batch No 6 is a French Calvados finished in casks from the closed Caroni distillery and bottled at 48.8%.

This bottling is the sixth release in Drouin's Expérimental range, where a 17-year-old Pays d'Auge calvados is moved from its usual oak casks into six used casks that previously held rum from Caroni in Trinidad. The Caroni distillery closed in the early 2000s, and its casks have since become sought after in both rum and whisky circles for the powerful, oily character they impart. The calvados spent eight months in these casks before bottling, at a strength notably higher than Drouin's standard releases.

The result is a noticeably darker, richer calvados than usual, where the apple is still there but now dressed in smoky oak and a hint of the tarry, earthy character Caroni casks are known for.

Tasting notes

Nose

Cooked and candied apples meet oily oak and burnt caramel, with a touch of leather in the background.

Palate

Full and oily, with stewed apple, farmhouse cider and a lightly smoky edge that brings burnt wood to mind.

Finish

Long and dark, where roasted apricot, brown sugar and a hint of petroleum-like dryness from the Caroni cask linger well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Experimental de Christian Drouin 17 Year Old Caroni Angels Small Batch No 6
Distillery: Christian Drouin
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
Age: 17 years
ABV: 48.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in rum casks from the Caroni distillery
Distillation method: Double distilled
Bottled: August 2022
Number of bottles: 1,506
Edition: Expérimental Small Batch No. 6, Caroni Angels
EAN no.: 3297367048173
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass, without ice, so the dark, oily notes can fully unfold.

Flavour profile

Bold · Oily · Smoky · Fruity · Dark

Did you know?

The Caroni distillery in Trinidad closed more than twenty years ago, yet its casks are now so sought after among rum and whisky fans that they trade almost like a category of their own. Getting hold of six of them for a calvados is unusual even within Drouin's experimental range.

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On Barbados, Foursquare distils some of the world's most respected rum under Richard Seale's exacting eye. At Christian Drouin, six of their used casks were given a second life shaping a 17-year-old calvados – and the result now carries the age of seventeen plus two more.

Expert description

Experimental de Christian Drouin 19 Year Old Calvados Cask Foursquare Angels is a French Calvados finished in rum casks from the Foursquare distillery on Barbados and bottled at 46.8%.

This bottling is the eighth release in Drouin's Expérimental range. A 17-year-old Pays d'Auge calvados was placed in eight French oak casks that had previously held rum from the respected Foursquare distillery on Barbados. After 17 months in these casks, the calvados was moved into fresh, re-charred casks for a further three months before bottling. The combined process brings the calvados to an effective age of around 19 years, and only 2,396 bottles were filled from this release.

Tasting notes

Nose

Roasted apple, vanilla pod and salted caramel, with a touch of pear drops.

Palate

Pine nuts and toasted almond meet pineapple and a light sweetness from the rum cask.

Finish

Medium length and nutty, where pineapple and toasted almond linger together.

Specifications

Name: Experimental de Christian Drouin 19 Year Old Calvados Cask Foursquare Angels
Distillery: Christian Drouin
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
Age: 19 years
ABV: 46.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in rum casks from the Foursquare distillery
Distillation method: Double distilled
Number of bottles: 2,396
Edition: Expérimental Small Batch No. 8, Foursquare Angels
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass.

Flavour profile

Nutty · Round · Spiced · Fruity

Did you know?

Foursquare on Barbados is regarded by many rum enthusiasts as the world's most technically advanced rum distillery, run by Richard Seale, who is known for his transparency on ageing and additives – values that align closely with Drouin's own approach to calvados.

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Not all of Christian Drouin's calvados comes from the Pays d'Auge. Sélection is the house's detour to Domfront, where pears join the apples, and the result is as fresh as it is different.

Expert description

La Calvados de Christian Drouin Selection is a French Calvados column distilled from apples and pears from the Domfront area and bottled at 40%.

Sélection is the youngest and lightest expression in Christian Drouin's range, and differs from the house's other calvados by being a Calvados AOC rather than a Calvados Pays d'Auge. It is made from both apples and pears from Domfront and distilled in a single pass through a column still, giving a lighter, more direct fruit style than the house's double-distilled Pays d'Auge calvados. It is built as a light, versatile expression that also works well in cocktails.

Tasting notes

Nose

Freshly cut apple with a hint of lemon and steel.

Palate

Light and lively, with clear apple and pear character.

Finish

Short, with apple seeds and a hint of crushed peppercorn.

Specifications

Name: La Calvados de Christian Drouin Selection
Distillery: Christian Drouin
Region/Country: Domfront, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Distillation method: Single distilled in a column still
EAN no.: 3297364070016
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature or as a cocktail base.

Flavour profile

Fresh · Light · Pear-Forward · Spiced

Did you know?

Although Christian Drouin is best known for its Pays d'Auge calvados, the house also makes an expression from the Domfront region, where pears join the apples in the eau-de-vie – a completely different approach from its core range.

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Hors d'Age literally means "beyond age" – and at Christian Drouin it is not just a name. No eau-de-vie under fifteen years old goes into this bottle.

Expert description

La Calvados Pays d'Auge de Christian Drouin Hors d'Age is a French Calvados blended from eaux-de-vie aged over fifteen years, bottled at 40%.

Hors d'Age is the oldest standard expression from Christian Drouin and represents the house's most demanding blend, where every component has rested at least fifteen years in oak casks in the cellars at Coudray-Rabut. The long ageing gives a depth and maturity that sets it clearly apart from the house's younger VSOP and XO.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried fruit, walnut and a deep, spiced oak note.

Palate

Rich and full, with apple compote, caramel and a warm spiced profile.

Finish

Very long, with dried fruit and oak lingering well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: La Calvados Pays d'Auge de Christian Drouin Hors d'Age
Distillery: Christian Drouin
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
Age: Over 15 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
EAN no.: 8625184522623
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass, on its own as a digestif.

Flavour profile

Deep · Dried Fruit · Spiced · Full

Did you know?

The oldest eaux-de-vie in Christian Drouin's cellars date back to the founder's first years as a distiller in the 1960s, laid down long before anyone knew it would one day become a Hors d'Age release.

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Eight years is only the starting point for Christian Drouin's XO – the blend also draws on much older stocks from the house's cellars, giving it a depth VSOP never reaches.

Expert description

La Calvados Pays d'Auge de Christian Drouin XO is a French Calvados blended from eaux-de-vie starting around eight years and older, bottled at 40%.

XO is the elder of Christian Drouin's two classic core expressions, built around a core of eaux-de-vie around eight years old, enriched with considerably older stocks from the cellars in Coudray-Rabut. The longer overall ageing gives a heavier, more complex calvados than VSOP, with clear notes of baked apple and spice.

Tasting notes

Nose

Baked apple, vanilla and a light toasted oak note.

Palate

Full-bodied and complex, with dried fruit, spice and soft caramel.

Finish

Long and warm, where spice and oak dominate at the end.

Specifications

Name: La Calvados Pays d'Auge de Christian Drouin XO
Distillery: Christian Drouin
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
Age: From 8 years and older
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
EAN no.: 3297364070610
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass, ideally as a digestif.

Flavour profile

Full-Bodied · Baked Apple · Spiced · Complex

Did you know?

Christian Drouin has won over 300 gold medals in international spirits competitions, making it one of the most awarded calvados houses in Normandy.

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Between five and twelve years must pass before a calvados from Christian Drouin can carry the name VSOP – a wide margin that gives the cellar master room to compose, rather than simply wait.

Expert description

Le Calvados Pays d'Auge de Christian Drouin VSOP is a French Calvados blended from eaux-de-vie aged five to twelve years and bottled at 40%.

VSOP sits in the middle of Christian Drouin's classic range, between the lighter Sélection and the older XO. By blending calvados spanning five to twelve years, the house achieves a profile with both fresh fruit and an emerging depth from the cask. Christian Drouin has distilled calvados in the Pays d'Auge since 1960 and is today run by the third generation of the family.

Tasting notes

Nose

Ripe apples and soft floral notes, with a touch of vanilla.

Palate

Fruity and round, with ripe apple and a light vanilla sweetness.

Finish

Medium length, soft finish with apple and a hint of spice.

Specifications

Name: Le Calvados Pays d'Auge de Christian Drouin VSOP
Distillery: Christian Drouin
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
Age: 5-12 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
EAN no.: 3297364070023
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass.

Flavour profile

Fruity · Floral · Vanilla · Round

Did you know?

In the early 1990s, Christian Drouin moved production to a 400-year-old farm in Coudray-Rabut, where the distillery still stands today, while the very oldest stocks trace back to the founder's original farm in Gonneville.

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Some of Christian Drouin's eaux-de-vie get one last stretch in old Bordeaux casks before joining Réserve des Fiefs – a detail that gives this calvados a touch usually associated with wine, not apples.

Expert description

Le Calvados Pays d'Auge de Christian Drouin Reserve is a French Calvados blended from eaux-de-vie aged at least three to four years, partly in small oak casks and partly in ex-Bordeaux casks, bottled at 40%.

Réserve, known at Drouin as Réserve des Fiefs, combines eaux-de-vie aged at least three years in small oak casks with eaux-de-vie that has spent at least four years in used Bordeaux casks. The combination gives a golden-coloured calvados with a character sitting between the house's fresh Sélection and the heavier VSOP. The expression has won gold and the Best Old Calvados award at the World Calvados Awards.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fruit and flowers, with a touch of apple, maple syrup and citrus.

Palate

Round, with roasted apple, peach, vanilla and soft spice.

Finish

Medium length, with almond and a light, soft wine-like finish from the Bordeaux casks.

Specifications

Name: Le Calvados Pays d'Auge de Christian Drouin Reserve
Distillery: Christian Drouin
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados
Age: Minimum 3-4 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks and ex-Bordeaux wine casks
EAN no.: 3297364070474
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass.

Flavour profile

Round · Fruity · Wine-Like · Soft

Did you know?

Réserve des Fiefs is one of the few calvados where part of the ageing takes place in casks that previously held Bordeaux wine – a technique far more common in whisky and rum than in calvados.

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Ten years in oak transforms Le Père Jules' fresh farmhouse calvados into something else entirely – the power is still there, but now joined by vanilla and spice that only time can give.

Expert description

Le Pere Jules 10 Year Old is a French Calvados Pays d'Auge aged ten years in oak casks and bottled at 41%.

This expression is aged notably longer than the Desfrièches family's 3-year-old calvados, and shows what a decade in cask does to a farm-produced eau-de-vie. The fruit remains central, but is now supported by vanilla and spice from the wood. The Le Père Jules farm in Saint-Désir-de-Lisieux is today run by fourth-generation Guillaume Desfrièches, still using fruit from the family's own 40 hectares of orchards.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fruity, with a touch of oak, vanilla and a light spiced aroma.

Palate

Powerful and full-bodied, with ripe apple, vanilla and spice.

Finish

Medium length and elegant, where spice and apple linger together.

Specifications

Name: Le Pere Jules 10 Year Old
Distillery: Le Père Jules
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados Pays d'Auge
Age: 10 years
ABV: 41%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Distillation method: Double distilled
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass.

Flavour profile

Powerful · Fruity · Vanilla · Spiced

Did you know?

The Desfrièches family produces not only calvados on the farm, but also cider and a naturally sparkling apple wine, all made from fruit grown in their own orchards.

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Twenty years is a long time to wait for a bottle of calvados, but that is exactly what the Le Père Jules farm does with this expression – apples from the 1990s orchards have had two full decades to become something else entirely.

Expert description

Le Pere Jules 20 Year Old is a French Calvados Pays d'Auge aged twenty years in oak casks and bottled at 41%.

This is the oldest standard expression from the Le Père Jules farm, where four generations of the Desfrièches family have distilled calvados from their own orchards in Saint-Désir-de-Lisieux since 1919. After twenty years in oak, the fruit has transformed into something deep and dried, with compote, spice and roasted notes that only come with time.

Tasting notes

Nose

Apple compote, dried fruit and a roasted, spiced aroma.

Palate

Soft and round, with deep fruit, spice and a light roasted character.

Finish

Long and warm, with dried fruit and oak lingering well.

Specifications

Name: Le Pere Jules 20 Year Old
Distillery: Le Père Jules
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados Pays d'Auge
Age: 20 years
ABV: 41%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Distillation method: Double distilled
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass, ideally on its own as a digestif.

Flavour profile

Deep · Dried Fruit · Spiced · Round

Did you know?

The Le Père Jules farm sits on the same land Jules Desfrièches himself farmed when he returned from the First World War in 1919 and began distilling. The farm remains 100% family-owned, four generations later.

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In 1919, Jules Desfrièches came home from the First World War and distilled his first calvados in Saint-Désir-de-Lisieux. Today his great-grandson, Guillaume, still farms the same 40 hectares with the same 60 apple varieties.

Expert description

Le Pere Jules 3 Year Old is a French Calvados Pays d'Auge aged three years in oak casks and bottled at 41%.

Le Père Jules is the youngest expression from the Le Père Jules farm, where four generations of the Desfrièches family have distilled calvados since 1919. After at least three years in oak, the calvados shows the freshness and liveliness of a young eau-de-vie, while the family's traditional double distillation still gives it depth.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh apple and a touch of blossom, with a light, green sharpness.

Palate

Lively and direct, with fresh apple and a mild spiced note.

Finish

Short and fresh, with apple dominating the final impression.

Specifications

Name: Le Pere Jules 3 Year Old
Distillery: Le Père Jules
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: French Calvados Pays d'Auge
Age: 3 years
ABV: 41%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Distillation method: Double distilled
EAN no.: 3760197250004
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature or as a cocktail base.

Flavour profile

Fresh · Lively · Apple-Forward · Light

Did you know?

The Le Père Jules farm still cultivates 60 different apple varieties across its 40 hectares of orchards – far more than most calvados houses, which often rely on a handful of set varieties.

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Named after a beloved dog from Aberdeenshire who followed her owner on distillery visits for years.

Expert description

Little Brown Dog Calvados Single Cask is a French Calvados, bottled at 47.8%, distilled at Christian Drouin in Normandy and selected by independent bottler Little Brown Dog. Little Brown Dog was founded in 2018 by Dr Andrew Smith and Chris Reid in rural Aberdeenshire, with a desire to bottle whisky and other spirits away from the habits of the big, established bottling houses. The name comes from Andrew's own dog, known as 'the little brown dog', who followed him on distillery visits for years and became the company's unofficial mascot until she passed away in 2022, aged 15 — she lives on on every label. The Calvados comes from the Drouin family, who for three generations have kept the craft of Calvados and the cider-making tradition of the Pays d'Auge in Normandy alive.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers ripe apple, vanilla and a hint of spice.

Palate

The palate is round with apple compote, caramel and light oak.

Finish

The finish is medium to long, fruity and warm.

Specifications

Name: Little Brown Dog Calvados Single Cask Drouin Distillery
Bottler: Little Brown Dog
Region/Country: Pays d'Auge, Normandy, France
Type: Calvados
ABV: 47.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Single Cask

Flavour profile

Apple-forward · Spicy · Warm · Round

Did you know?

Little Brown Dog is named after founder Andrew Smith's own dog, who followed him on distillery visits for years and graced the company's labels until she passed away in 2022, aged 15.

See our full range of Little Brown Dog

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