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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,402
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Bought a bottle of Boulard VSOP this last weekend and I really enjoyed it tremendously. I never have tried it before now it was a gut purchase. Anyone else try this stuff and what do you think. I found it had a very great flavor and was incredibly smooth going down too. Also if anyone has tried it before any other brands you'd recommend.
 

Ahi Ka

Lurker
Feb 25, 2020
6,520
31,475
Aotearoa (New Zealand)
I love calvados, except can’t afford to buy it/struggle to find it in NZ. We have a local cidery which makes an apple brandy which is similar but nowhere near as syrupy. Hah you just reminded me of when a mate and I both lost our jobs and we opened a bottle at lunchtime and enjoyed a pipe.
 

shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,188
24,084
49
Las Vegas
My favorite budget Calvados is Pere Magloire V.S.O.P.:

iu


My personal favorite as a regular is Roger Groult 8 Ans d'Age:

iu


To get better than the Roger Groult you're going to be spending quite a lot IMHO. For the price of the higher levels there's many more Cognacs & Armagnacs I'd rather drink.
 

pantsBoots

Lifer
Jul 21, 2020
2,132
7,517
Terra Firma
Bought a bottle of Boulard VSOP this last weekend and I really enjoyed it tremendously. I never have tried it before now it was a gut purchase. Anyone else try this stuff and what do you think. I found it had a very great flavor and was incredibly smooth going down too. Also if anyone has tried it before any other brands you'd recommend.
Yes! It is the only Calvados of any count I can find at my typical stores. While delicious on its own, I strongly advise the Jack Rose cocktail:


This recipe bears experimenting with, as the Calvados makes it a much better drink than with the Applejack mentioned in the recipe itself. I prefer to make it without Peychaud's Bitters (save those for your Sazerac cocktails!). I also prefer lime more than lemon, and I back off on the amount of citrus the above recipe calls for. Obviously, skip the cheap store-bought crap & take the time to make the homemade grenadine:


Cheers!
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,402
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Yes! It is the only Calvados of any count I can find at my typical stores. While delicious on its own, I strongly advise the Jack Rose cocktail:


This recipe bears experimenting with, as the Calvados makes it a much better drink than with the Applejack mentioned in the recipe itself. I prefer to make it without Peychaud's Bitters (save those for your Sazerac cocktails!). I also prefer lime more than lemon, and I back off on the amount of citrus the above recipe calls for. Obviously, skip the cheap store-bought crap & take the time to make the homemade grenadine:


Cheers!
doesn't sound that bad but it's probably gonna be a few months before I get another bottle so it will have to wait a bit.
 

mawnansmiff

Lifer
Oct 14, 2015
7,385
7,295
Sunny Cornwall, UK.
I adore Calvados and have ever since I visited France back in the 80's. Lost count of how many brands I've had but it must be over twenty.

There's a guy in nearby Somerset called Julian Temperley who makes and sells apple brandy (Calvados in all but name) from 3 years old to 20 years old.


I'm currently on a bourbon and rye trip so that's where my coin goes lately.

Regards,

Jay.?
 
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jerseysam

Can't Leave
Mar 24, 2019
456
4,566
Liberty Township. OH
In the US, Lairds 12 YO Apple Brandy is a pretty solid domestic sipper in this vein. If you can find it in the $60-$70 range it's a good buy. Higher than that, as mentioned above there are other aged Brandies/Cognacs/Armagnacs that are better values. Lairds also makes a 7 1/2 year apple brandy that's usually at a good price, but I find it a bit sweet and flat at only 80 proof.

In my travels I've seen Lairds carried in small liquor stores (especially Control/ABC states) that don't have much of any selection on the Brandy/Cognac side (Lairds makes an Apple-Jack that finds it's way to a lot of stores, sometimes the premiums come along and sit as dutsty's in the regional/oddball shelves).....started buying the 12 YO for like $55 and found it very tasty.
 
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madox07

Lifer
Dec 12, 2016
1,823
1,689
Bought a bottle of Boulard VSOP this last weekend and I really enjoyed it tremendously. I never have tried it before now it was a gut purchase. Anyone else try this stuff and what do you think. I found it had a very great flavor and was incredibly smooth going down too. Also if anyone has tried it before any other brands you'd recommend.

My mother in law lives in Normandy, next to a little calvados distilery near deauville. The french are by far the best i have tried so far in distilling apples. It's not bad, especially the more expensive ones, but personally I do prefer grapes to apples.
 
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