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Père Magloire Calvados Fine
Distiller Score 75
This is a light take on Calvados with a focus on fruit. There's not a lot of viscosity or weight to make a proper digestive, but this could make a very nice sidecar. The aromatics tend more toward Golden Delicious or other yellow-skinned apple varieties. There's a bit more alcohol and saccharin on the finish than you may like, hence the recommendation on using it for mixing rather than sipping.
Reviewed by John Rankin
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Château du Breuil Fine
Distiller Score 84
An intense aroma of bright, youthful apples with just a touch of cinnamon and dried chili peppers. It is moderately sweet on your palate and has a soft, gentle body. Lots of apple cider notes and hints of woody spices and a dollop of caramel. The Calvados has just the right amount of tang to balance the sweet fruit which gives it a liveliness.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Père Magloire Calvados VSOP
Distiller Score 81
This is a good introduction to calvados. The aromatics feature a healthy bit of bruised, red apple fruit with a touch of vanilla. Perhaps not the most complex, but very easy to enjoy. The palate continues on these themes, but ultimately the sweetness/oaky-ness betrays the fruit a bit. A nice starting point, and an especially attractive choice for those adventuring from the world of whiskey.
Reviewed by John Rankin
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Christian Drouin Sélection Calvados
Distiller Score 88
Crisp, fruity, and dangerously easy to drink, this obviously youthful calvados deviating a little from the classic flavor profile, towards something resembling a German-style Obstler, with fresh, vibrant, almost gossamer apple and pear flavors, a little iris, white pepper, and cider vinegar on the nose. It has the barest hint of movie-theater "popcorn butter" on the mid-palate, and some aloe and demerara sugar on the back end. Straightforward but satisfying.
Reviewed by Duncan McRoberts
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Domaine du Manoir de Montreuil Réserve
Distiller Score 85
This a great introduction to Normandy's proudest beverage: Calvados. Manoir de Montreuil's Reserve has succulent fresh apple character with a lingering finish of French vanilla and clover honey. At 42% there is a spirituous kick that harks to Calvados' rustic past, and the added alcohol gives the brandy some extra weight compared to others in this price range. Certainly there are more complex calvados out there, but as a beginner’s bottle, cocktail mixer, or simply great deal, it's hard to argue with the value.
Reviewed by John Rankin
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Domaine Dupont Calvados Vielle Reserve
Distiller Score 82
Brilliant gold in color and a sweet, candied apple nose give way to fresh anise tones on the tongue. Lingering hints of oak and citrus as well as vanilla spice round out the finish. Adding a drop or two of water helps brighten the flavor and balance the palate.
Reviewed by Katrina Niemisto
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Christian Drouin Réserve des Fiefs Calvados
Distiller Score 82
Lots of cidery funk with a little sea breeze and caramel thrown in for good measure, coat the tongue with ripe apple, allspice, and wet earth. The aromatics of this spirit give one of the most specific and detailed impressions of a place you can taste in an aged spirit, but the lack of structure and concentration in the mouth, plus a little unbalanced alcohol, mean the overall effect is a bit raw.
Reviewed by Duncan McRoberts
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Château du Breuil Réserve du Château 8 Ans d'Âge
Distiller Score 89
There's a good mix of apples and woody spices here, with the apples more dried than fresh. Some wax and nuts are found as well. Some sweetness is found on the tip of your tongue, but the alcohol stands out on the mid-palate. That said, the fruit comes along soon enough with some barrels spices and brown butter. The finish is slightly bitter, but not unpleasantly so.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Roger Groult Calvados Reserve 3 Ans
Distiller Score 87
With its moderate price and fairly young age, Roger Groult's 3 year old Calvados is a natural choice for cocktails, but don't let that put one off of sipping it neat. It has the bright, crisp acidity of fresh apple flesh, along with woodsy tannins and just a hint of vanilla. It's a fantastic value for the price, making it an easy addition to any home bar.
Reviewed by Jacob Grier
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Calvados Coquerel Fine
Distiller Score 72
No doubting that this is an apple-based product, with aromas of apple cider and a subtle oaky aroma emerging from the glass. Apple flavors are the first on the palate with an astringent, bitter tannin trailed by a light cinnamon note. This is simple and one-note, but all about the apple; would be great as a cocktail ingredient or for cooking purposes, but a bit rough as a sipper.
Reviewed by Matthew Sheinberg
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Domaine Dupont Calvados Fine Reserve
Distiller Score 75
Brilliant gold in color with heavy vanilla tones along with some apple and pear on the bouquet. Dried fruit notes creep out from underneath the almost artificial vanilla palate. Though the finish is mostly sweet, there are hints of medicinal and slightly acidic flavors at the end with an angular mouthfeel.
Reviewed by Katrina Niemisto