The cellar index

BrandyCollection 03

Calvados

Orchard fruit, cider and patient oak ageing give Normandy's brandy its unmistakable identity.

Origin & traditionNormandy, France

Character & context

Understanding Calvados

Calvados is distilled from cider and, depending on the appellation, pear cider. Calvados, Pays d'Auge and Domfrontais have different production traditions; the pear component is especially important in Domfrontais. Young bottles favour fresh fruit, while older examples move toward baked apple, spice and nuts.

Further reading: Calvados France — the appellations

Read related observations