Christian Drouin 2004/2023 Millesimes - Calvados Pays d'Auge

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 42% | Chill filtration: No

Special Features:

The Millésime 2004 from the Pays d'Auge brings together ripe apple and honey with cinnamon, toasted wood and pastry nuances. This release was bottled in 2023 at 42% in 0.7-litre bottles. The Calvados is neither chill-filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Ripe apples and honey appear first on the nose. Cinnamon, brown sugar and toasted wood then emerge. Brioche and baba pastries add to the pastry-like aromas.
• Palate: The opening is firm, with toasted wood lending structure to the palate. Baked apple, spices, almonds and raisins combine in a rich, pastry-like flavour profile. Candied orange adds to the fruity flavours.
• Finish: Apple tart, strudel and brown sugar define the soft finish.

Distillery/Bottler:

Christian Drouin runs an active family distillery in Coudray-Rabut in the Pays d'Auge, with its own distillation, maturation and bottling operations. Alongside Calvados, it also produces cider and Pommeau. The distillery occupies a historic estate in the Touques valley, with half-timbered buildings dating from the 17th century. In the double-distillation process, cider is first distilled into a light spirit, which is then distilled again. The separation of heads, heart and tails is adjusted to the characteristics of each cider.

The house's history began in 1960, when Christian Drouin senior bought a farm with cider apple trees near Honfleur. Working with distiller Pierre Pivet, he built up stocks of maturing Calvados over two decades. His son later focused the house particularly on old and vintage releases. Guillaume Drouin joined the business in 2004 as the third generation and took over its management in 2013. Christian and Guillaume taste every cask each year to decide how it should be used; each vintage follows a maturation programme tailored to its character.

Facts: