Christian Drouin 10 years old Calle 23 Angels Calvados Pays d'Auge

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 48.8% | Colouring: No

Special Features:

For Calle 23 Angels, Christian Drouin combines the apple character of a ten-year-old Calvados Pays d'Auge with the influence of former tequila casks. The bottling belongs to the Expérimental series, in which the house explores unusual cask partnerships with other spirits producers. Agave specialist Alexandre Mermillod from the Drouin team and Sophie Decobecq of Calle 23 collaborated on this edition.

Two casks that had previously held tequila made from Tequilana Weber agave in Mexico's Los Altos region were used for the finishing process. A first parcel of Calvados spent 13 months in them. The same casks were then filled again with Calvados, which remained in them for four months. For Calle 23 Angels, the two parcels with their different finishing periods were blended to bring apple and agave into balance.

The edition comprises 1,050 bottles. The Calvados from Batch 5 was bottled in March 2022 at 48.8% in 0.7-litre bottles. The turquoise wax seal and the agave motif on the label reflect the connection with Calle 23.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Pronounced aromas of walnuts, olives and truffles lead the nose. White chocolate and cooked apples then emerge.
• Palate: The Calvados is full-bodied and powerful on the palate.
• Finish: Roasted almond aromas linger on the finish.

Distillery/Bottler:

The family house's history began in 1960, when Christian Drouin senior purchased the Fiefs Sainte-Anne farm at Gonneville near Honfleur. Together with distiller Pierre Pivet, he spent years building up stocks of aged Calvados; sales did not begin until 1979. In the early 1990s, production moved to a 17th-century farm in Coudray-Rabut near Pont-l'Evêque. Agricultural engineer and oenologist Guillaume Drouin joined the business in 2004, bringing in the third generation.

For its Calvados Pays d'Auge, Drouin uses double distillation in a still with a capacity of 2500 litres. Heads and tails are separated during both runs, with the house adjusting the cut points to suit each cider. Maturation is also planned individually: alongside smaller used casks, larger wooden vessels are used for blending and for storing Calvados that has already acquired sufficient wood influence. Christian and Guillaume Drouin taste every cask annually before deciding on its further use.

Facts: