Calvados: Rum lovers take note!

[Capn Jimbo]

Before rum, brandy was king...


A couple weeks ago I ran across a wonderful used hardback "The Complete Book of Spirits", by Anthony Dias Blue (link), a wonderful resource by the founder of the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. As always, I read with relish and with my multi-color pen at the ready to highlight important and interesting facts.

Consider these:

First, that brandy preceeded rum and dominated trade. Britain in particular felt threatened and promoted rum from its own colonies to compete. The chapter on brandy was perhaps the most extensive in the book and I was fascinated by the stories of cognac, armangnac and then...

Calvados.

Calvados had a long history in Normandy, France (site of the Normandy invasion) and is an extremely meticulous spirit made from up to 100 species of sweet, tart and/or bitter apples. Some of the species are not even edible but add desireable qualities to the multiple species selected to ferment into cider, and thence distilled into Calvados. The producers are small, the production is meticulous and uses pot stills.

I had to try one.

A trip to Total Wine found one called Berneroy VSOP Calvados, aged 8 years in oak, and which exhibited a baked apple kitchen, along with a deeper tones including oak-based spices, vanillan and just enough tannin for a modestly dry and peppery finish. Think the usual apple pie spices, or Asian five-spice mixtures.

Although brandies tend to be either expensive or outragously expensive, the Berneroy was a mere $19. We found it stunningly sophisticated, well-integrated, smooth and balanced. It's purity (no caramel colors here) was refreshing and impressive. Honestly, I'm quite sure that most rum drinkers could be led to believe this was a fine cane juice, or cane syrup rum.


Bottom line:

There is much to be learned by delving into the other fine spirits of historical signficance, which can only enhance the appreciation of fine pure rums. Berneroy VSOP Calvados would be a fine start - please, please buy this product.

You won't regret it...