The Schtick: Distilled at Cave Normande, produced from 50% pears and 50% apples and matured for 45 years, this is a somewhat unreal sort of Calvados, produced in Saint-Cyr-du-Bailleul in Normandy. Per PM: The raw material for this single cask was 50% apples and 50%pears grown in an orchard with trees ranging from 20 to 200 years old. All 15 apple varieties utilized are of the highly phenolic type, complemented by 12 varieties of pears. Distilled on a small, mobile, wood-fired column still, this Calvados slumbered for 45 years in French Oak before being bottled at cask strength. Fermentation was 3-6 months, which is its own flavor of wild. Now, let’s get to it.
Disclosure: Sample provided by PM Spirits for review in 2024. Stock image. Im behind. Really behind.
Review #2589 | Calvados Review #
Distiller: Cave Normande
Bottler: PM Spirits
Brand: PM Spirits
Selection: PM Spirits
ABV: 48.8% ABV
Age: 45 Years
Nose: Gorgeous richness on the nose, toffee, apple butter, pungent cigar wrapper, rancio, pistachios, nutmeg, a hint of acid and gentle pine, citrus and caramelized sugar.
Taste: Rich on the palate, super dry but pleasant. Heavy oak, tannic but not bitter, packed with dusty richness, floral brightness, a hint of apples, pears, lavender. Lovely.
Finish: Long finish. Dry, a touch of bitterness, salinity, minerality and more heavy cardamom and lavender.
Overall: Bright and expressive, this 45yr release is anything but old, drab or flat. It’s bright, floral and vivacious, a winner.
Thanks for reading!
Rank: 8
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