Calvados (Apple Brandy)

Calvados
Apple Brandy from Normandy, France

I used to sell Calvados when I lived in Philadelphia and was a wine rep. Before that I never knew much about this sumptuous drink. The brand I sold was Boulard Pays d'Auge which was/is divine, so I assumed that all Calvados was this delicious.  Wrong.  Some can be cantankerous little devils.  Harsh on the pallet and lacking the finesse and beauty I have come to appreciate and adore in great Calvados.  This brandy is truly rapturous alongside a rustic apple tart with crème anglaise.  But alas, I am busy and barely had enough time to even sit down to dinner this particular night, much less make a homemade dessert.  So I simply sliced a crisp apple and we really enjoyed this simple combination.
I love the idea of what is called "The Norman Hole" If you have a really long dinner party with several courses you can throw in "The Norman Hole" (a small bit of Calvados served with apple sorbet). Pallet Cleanser with a kick!


 How it is Made:
Calvados is distilled from cider made from specially grown and selected apples, of which there are over 200 named varieties. It is not uncommon for a Calvados producer to use over 100 specific varieties of apples, which are either sweet (such as the Rouge Duret variety), tart (such as the Rambault variety), or bitter (such as the Mettais, Saint Martin, Frequin, and Binet Rouge varieties), the latter being inedible.
The fruit is harvested (either by hand or mechanically) and pressed into a juice that is fermented into a dry cider.  It is then distilled  into eau de vie (water of life). After two years aging in oak casks, it can be sold as Calvados. The longer it is aged, the smoother the drink becomes. Usually the maturation goes on for several years.


Grades of Quality:
The age on the bottle refers to the youngest constituent of the blend. A blend is often composed of old and young calvados. Producers can also use the terms below to refer to the age.

• "Fine", "Trois étoiles", "Trois pommes"—at least two years old.
• "Vieux"—"Réserve"—at least three years old.
• "V.O." "VO", "Vieille Réserve", "V.S.O.P." "VSOP"—at least four years old.
• "Extra", "X.O." "XO", "Napoléon", "Hors d'Age" "Age Inconnu"—at least six years old. Often sold much older.

High quality Calvados usually has parts which are much older than that mentioned. Calvados can be made from a single (generally, exceptionally good) year. When this happens, the label often carries that year.

Watch a short YouTube Video briefly talking about Calvados:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi4k7bXDTB0