Calistoga Star 7 Years Old California Brandy
Brilliant, amber color. The nose is filled with the scents of dried fruits with toasted oak, brown baking spices, and caramel with hints of candied orange peel. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering a rich and spicy fruit-driven core with accents of black pepper, clove, oak, and toasted walnuts. Full-bodied and nicely balanced with a dry and spicy finish. $75 – 4 Stars
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
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
Stone Castle Raki
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is alluring offering a beautiful perfume of wild flowers with ripe stone fruits supported by mineral, earthy spices, and a pleasing salinity. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering a lush fruit-forward core with generous citrus accents and sweet tarragon notes rising on the finish. Medium-bodied and perfectly balanced with vibrant acidity perfectly framing the ultra-ripe fruit core. $19.99 – 4 Stars
Gran Duque D'Alba XO Brandy de Jerez
Brilliant, beautiful mahogany color with hints of amber. The aromatics are quite complex with waves of roasted nuts, vanilla bean, nougat, raisins, and dates. The palate echoes the nose delivering a generous, unctuous caramel and toffee, with dried fruits, clove, allspice, and oak. Full-bodied with complex layers of fruit, caramel, spice, presented with a silky texture. $115 – 4 Stars
Gran Duque D'Alba Oro Brandy de Jerez
Brilliant, beautiful mahogany color with hints of amber. The nose is quite elegant and complex, offering scents of toffee, aged leather, dried fruits, and vanilla beans. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering a generous cream caramel core with roasted nuts, nutmeg, brown butter, and Sherry with subtle hints of dark chocolate. Full-bodied presenting a very sophisticated, semi-dry style that shows off this great old Brandy. $155 – 4.5 Stars
