Christian Drouin Millésime 1995/2025 Calvados Pays d'Auge

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

Special Features:

Maturation in both Calvados and Port wine casks distinguishes this vintage from the Pays d'Auge. Double-distilled in 1995, the spirit first matured in previously used Calvados casks before receiving a finish in former Port wine casks. This additional cask influence contributes to its pronounced raisin notes and wine-like character.

Around three decades separate distillation in 1995 from bottling in 2025. This amber-coloured Calvados combines ripe apple fruit with sweet dried fruit, delicate floral notes and spice. It is bottled at 42% without added colouring and presented in a 0.7-litre bottle with a wooden box. A tulip-shaped glass is well suited to tasting it. Serving the Calvados neat at room temperature allows its fruit and cask notes to be explored.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose reveals ripe apples and dried fruit, accompanied by delicate vanilla.
• Palate: The Calvados is full-bodied on the palate. Intense raisin notes and sweet dried fruit meet the wine-like influence of the Port wine casks, while a subtle floral note complements the flavour.
• Finish: The long finish leaves apple fruit and delicate spice.

Distillery/Bottler:

Christian Drouin's story began in 1960 with the purchase of the Fiefs Sainte-Anne farm near Honfleur. Together with distiller Pierre Pivet, Christian Drouin built up stocks of maturing Calvados before sales began in 1979. In the early 1990s, production moved to a 17th-century farm in Coudray-Rabut near Pont l'Evêque. Guillaume Drouin, an agricultural engineer and oenologist, joined the family business as its third generation in 2004 and took over its management in 2013.

For its Calvados Pays d'Auge, the house uses double distillation in a pot still with a capacity of 2500 litres. Heads and tails are separated during both distillations, with the cut points adjusted to the particular cider. Maturation is also managed individually: numerous small, previously used casks allow interaction with wood and air without overloading the spirit with bitter wood tannins. Christian and Guillaume Drouin taste every cask annually and decide how its maturation should continue.

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