Christian Drouin Vintage 1964 Calvados Pays d’Auge
Brilliant, deep amber color. The nose is filled with the scents of baked apples, tart cider, roasted nuts, brown baking spices, and oak with hints of fresh baked rye bread. The palate echoes the nose delivering a rich and decadent baked apple-driven core with supporting notes of bitter apple, nutmeg, and dark caramel. Ideally balanced with great length and complexity as the trailing notes become surprisingly vibrant with apple skin tannins. $456 – 5 Stars
Christian Drouin Vintage 1974 Calvados Pays d’Auge
Brilliant, deep copper/amber color. The aromatics are reminiscent of holiday cheer with sweet apple, baking spices, and decadent caramel in the lead with accents of vanilla and cinnamon. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering a layered, apple-focused core with waves of allspice, cinnamon, and butter toffee. Perfectly balanced with an incredibly vibrant rush of acidity that gives a youthful edge to this mature vintage Calvados. $360 – 5 Stars
Christian Drouin Vintage 1994 Calvados Pays d’Auge
Brilliant, amber color. The nose is filled with the scents of baked apples that are nearly equaled by red fruit with accents of caramel toasted nuts, cocoa nibs, and nutmeg. The palate echoes the nose delivering an incredibly juicy, sweet apple-driven core with waves of French apple cake, butter toffee, and hints of red cherry. Wonderfully balanced with a silky texture that seamlessly marries the complex flavors. $262 – 4.5 Stars
Christian Drouin Vintage — Foursquare Finish 2004 Calvados Pays d’Auge
Brilliant, deep golden/copper color. The nose is filled with the scents of baked apple with a generous dose of caramel, toffee, and brown baking spices with a lovely honey accent. The palate echoes the nose delivering a caramel and baked apple core with notes of dried pear, nutmeg, candied ginger, and hints of clove. Full-bodied with perfect balance as the spice notes and abundant acidity are the ideal foil to the rich, decadent fruit. $144 – 4.5 Stars
Christian Drouin Tres Pomme Calvados Pays d’Auge
Brilliant, golden straw color. The aromatics deliver a clever balance of youthful cider with apple spirit giving detail of each part of the fruit from the sweet juice to the rustic skins. The palate echoes the nose delivering a unique spirit that defies categorization as it offers vibrant, raw, sweet fruit with the power of a refined pomace brandy in the best possible way. Ideally balanced with great length and weight. Made in very small batches, aged for three years in old, neutral, large format oak casks. $68.75 – 5 Stars
Bauchant Orange Liqueur
Brilliant, pale orange-tinged straw color. The nose is filled with the scents of burnt orange peel and Cognac with lovely Mandarin orange accents and a touch of honey. The palate is in full accord with the nose delivering a complex orange-driven core with expansive Cognac flavors, dry and bitter orange notes, and orange honey. Medium to full-bodied with incredible length and balance and as the sophisticated orange flavors evolve from start to finish. $25.99 – 4.5 Stars
Citadelle Vive le Cornichon Gin
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is very intense with scents of complex herbaceous notes, juniper, pickling spices (including mustard seeds), and cucumber with loads of sea salt and vinegar. The palate echoes the nose delivering a lush, green core with waves of tart pickles with a generous spice and salt addition that finishes with a sour note. Full-bodied with ideal balance offering expressive and unique flavors that may sound odd to some but it absolutely works. $29.99 – 4.5 Stars
NYAK VSOP Cognac
Brilliant amber/blood orange color. The nose is seductive, offering waves of ripe orchard fruits with supporting notes of sweet oak, honey, vanilla, and nutmeg. The palate echoes the nose delivering an opulent, ripe pear, apple, and apricot driven core with waves of buttery toffee, and vibrant candied ginger notes. Medium-bodied and ideally balanced with generous fruit and spice flavors foiled by bright acidity and exotic pepper accents. $52.99 – 4.5 Stars
NYAK VS Cognac
Brilliant amber color. The nose is beautiful offering waves of ripe pear and aromatic grapes with supporting notes of sweet oak, honey, pink peppercorns, and vanilla beans. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering an orchard fruit-focused core with waves of buttery toffee, caramel, and hints of ginger biscuits. Ideally balanced with fruit and spice in perfect proportions and a generous dose of bright acidity. $32.99 – 4.5 Stars
Grand Marnier Titanium Flavored Cognac
Deep, golden peach color with perfect clarity. The nose is filled with the scents of sweet, concentrated orange and tangerine with hints of baked peach, candied ginger, brown baking spices, and vanilla. On the palate the fruit notes are quite subtle with the spices taking center stage offering soft pepper notes with pithy citrus sensations. Full-bodied — despite the rich fruit notes found in the aromatics this spirit is totally dry. A full departure from the classic GM approach that seems to be built to be base of contemporary cocktails. $39.99 – 3 Stars
