Calvados

Author
Discussion

mr_tony

Original Poster:

6,339 posts

279 months

Tuesday 2nd December 2014
quotequote all
Any aficionados on here?
Have always enjoyed the odd after dinner Calvados as an enjoyable and considerably cheaper alternative to brandy (which I have to say is somewhat over hyped in my experience)

Had a few aged ones and they were exceptional but looking on berry bros or master of malt and the older ones cost rather a lot just to take a punt on.

Any recommendations?

King Cnut

256 posts

123 months

Tuesday 2nd December 2014
quotequote all
mr_tony said:
Any aficionados on here?
Have always enjoyed the odd after dinner Calvados as an enjoyable and considerably cheaper alternative to brandy (which I have to say is somewhat over hyped in my experience)

Had a few aged ones and they were exceptional but looking on berry bros or master of malt and the older ones cost rather a lot just to take a punt on.

Any recommendations?
No recommendations but one of my favourite drinks. I prefer it to Cognac, which I find a bit too polished. I like something with a few rough edges.

Why not nip over to Normandy for a bit of 'research'?




mr_tony

Original Poster:

6,339 posts

279 months

Tuesday 2nd December 2014
quotequote all
Want a bottle for Christmas. Travel schedule and kids preclude just popping to Normandy - despite it being an ideal GT man jaunt in the motor...

Craikeybaby

10,917 posts

235 months

Tuesday 2nd December 2014
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My granddad had a license to distill it, we're down to his last few bottles now.

irocfan

42,666 posts

200 months

Tuesday 2nd December 2014
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always think of this whenever Calvados is mentioned...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhKv499OGsY

Balmoral

42,038 posts

258 months

Thursday 25th April 2019
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Bump!

The winner of The World's Best Calvados awards 2018 is about €50 for a 70cl bottle in France or direct from the producer Busnel online. However, it's also the Sainsbury's own brand Calvados Pays D'Auge XO 12 years old at £20 for a 50cl bottle.

It is bloody wonderful and has taken over as my favourite spirit, it eclipses the usual supermarket Calvados Fine/Vieux and tops decent single malts and quality Brandy at thrice the price imo.





Edited by Balmoral on Thursday 25th April 18:22

21TonyK

12,124 posts

219 months

Thursday 25th April 2019
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Certainly no expert but I have a real soft spot for Somerset Cider Brandy.

Certainly the guy behind it is a real character and plied me with enough at a food fair so that I could barely walk in a straight line after nearly an hour of sampling and chat about his stills.

I suspect you may have to buy online or from an independent.

Balmoral

42,038 posts

258 months

Thursday 25th April 2019
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I've been reading a book about Calvados this afternoon (whilst drinking the stuff and nibbling on dark choccy). The UK producers got a mention, as well as the US and RoW (obviously they can't call theirs Calvados). I must try some of the UK stuff.

I appear to have finished the bottle.

RDMcG

19,677 posts

217 months

Thursday 25th April 2019
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I love Calvados and pray it does not become fashionable. Just the nose alone is amazing.

rambo19

2,844 posts

147 months

Thursday 25th April 2019
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My mate drinks it, he goes to france alot and brings it back with him, I think it's awful!

oddman

2,990 posts

262 months

Thursday 25th April 2019
quotequote all
Balmoral said:
Bump!

The winner of The World's Best Calvados awards 2018 is about €50 for a 70cl bottle in France or direct from the producer Busnel online. However, it's also the Sainsbury's own brand Calvados Pays D'Auge XO 12 years old at £20 for a 50cl bottle.

It is bloody wonderful and has taken over as my favourite spirit, it eclipses the usual supermarket Calvados Fine/Vieux and tops decent single malts and quality Brandy at thrice the price imo.
I had a bottle of this and thought is was excellent - good to see my fine taste is shared by others. I love a malt; don't 'get' cognac but calvados I like.

Craikeybaby

10,917 posts

235 months

Thursday 25th April 2019
quotequote all
Balmoral said:
Bump!

The winner of The World's Best Calvados awards 2018 is about €50 for a 70cl bottle in France or direct from the producer Busnel online. However, it's also the Sainsbury's own brand Calvados Pays D'Auge XO 12 years old at £20 for a 50cl bottle.

It is bloody wonderful and has taken over as my favourite spirit, it eclipses the usual supermarket Calvados Fine/Vieux and tops decent single malts and quality Brandy at thrice the price imo.





Edited by Balmoral on Thursday 25th April 18:22
Thanks for bumping! My brother is a Calvados snob (our Mum is from Normandy), he will think I'm taking the piss if I buy him an own brand bottle.

Frank7

6,619 posts

97 months

Thursday 25th April 2019
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I love Calvados, my dad turned me on to it, he said that he was stuck down a cellar during an air raid with a bunch of Canadian soldiers in Normandy in 1944, and that the Canucks had a couple of cases of it.
Another one to try is Armagnac, great after dinner drink, IMO.

dapprman

2,533 posts

277 months

Wednesday 1st May 2019
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I've been drinking (slowly over time) Henry de Querville for years (had others as well) - hard to find even in Normandy but my parents have managed it when they've been over there. Some of the best stuff I've had was actually a local still, bring your own glass bottle, stuff my father was pointed to (by a local) when my mother was at an Open University summer school in Normandy and he was there with day time hours to kill.

Balmoral

42,038 posts

258 months

Wednesday 1st May 2019
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The regular Fine Querville is on Amazon at £35, which is a bit much for a boggo Fine.

21st Century Man

42,038 posts

258 months

Thursday 30th January 2020
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Balmoral said:
Sainsbury's own brand Calvados Pays D'Auge XO 12 years old at £20 for a 50cl bottle.
Dropped down to £15 a bottle towards the end of last year. Now discontinued. frown

Bill

55,024 posts

265 months

Sunday 2nd February 2020
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Last year I managed to grow a pear in a bottle and topped it up with Calvados to steep for a few months...


21st Century Man

42,038 posts

258 months

Sunday 2nd February 2020
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Frank7 said:
Another one to try is Armagnac, great after dinner drink, IMO.
Although Sainsbury's have stopped doing the 12 year old XO Calvados, they're doing something very similar with a 12 year old XO Armagnac.

I highly commend it Frank.

21st Century Man

42,038 posts

258 months

Sunday 15th November 2020
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Whisky thread does rather well, this was just delivered, and as this is the only Calvados thread...


Morvan

234 posts

84 months

Sunday 15th November 2020
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Roger Groult Calvados Hors d'Age XO. Makes a fantastic hole in the stomach, plenty of space for more grub.
When I lived in Granville, France a bottle would be brought to the table after a few courses, everyone would drink a few glasses then continue eating. Now that I live in Burgundy I use Marc de Bourgogne for the same purpose.