Christian Drouin 35 years of age Calvados AOC

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 40% | Colouring: No

Special Features:

At least 35 years of maturation in oak casks shape this Calvados from Christian Drouin. Apple fruit remains distinct alongside the woody notes: ripe apples and spices lead the nose, while fruity sweetness meets a warm, rounded body on the palate.

This bottling carries the Appellation Calvados Contrôlée designation and contains no added colouring. The 0.7-litre bottle holds Calvados at 40% alcohol and comes in gift packaging decorated with the house's lion crest and an illustration of its half-timbered building.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Ripe apples and delicate spices lead the nose, complemented by a hint of oak.
• Palate: Fruity sweetness meets gentle woody notes on the palate. The body is full, warm and rounded.
• Finish: The finish is long, fading gently with spicy notes.

Distillery/Bottler:

The family business began in 1960 when Christian Drouin senior acquired the Fiefs Sainte-Anne estate near Gonneville-sur-Honfleur. With the help of distiller Pierre Pivet, he distilled cider from his orchards and initially built up stocks of maturing Calvados. His son joined in 1969, but sales did not begin until 1979. In 1991–1992, production moved to a 17th-century farm in Coudray-Rabut.

For its cider, the family uses around thirty apple varieties from orchards of standard apple trees, supplementing its own harvest with apples from regional farms. After crushing, the apple pulp rests for a few hours before being gently pressed in a pneumatic press. The ciders then spend several months in tanks and large cider casks. By distilling ciders of different ages, the house obtains both fruit-led spirits for young Calvados and more structured spirits suited to long maturation.

In its maturation cellars, Christian Drouin mainly uses small, previously used casks. These allow an intensive exchange between spirit, wood and air without contributing as many bitter tannins as new wood. Cask management is tailored to the desired style of each blend and vintage. Guillaume Drouin, an agricultural engineer and oenologist, joined the business in 2004 and took over its management in 2013.

Facts: