document IDAC
VERY ANCIENT HISTORY
The apple tree has been living happily in Normandy for
a very long time. The writings of the Celts and the
Romans refer to numerous wild apple trees which were
considered to be sacred at that time, growing on Norman
soil. The climate and soil were extremely well suited
to their development. In the 13th century, with the
development of commercial sailing ships, the ships
which came from Biscay brought the first grafts from
cider apple trees. These soon replaced the wild apple
trees ; varieties such as "Bisquet" or "Marin Onfroy"
remind us of this time. The history of the apple was
soon to become entangled with that of "sydre" and later
"cidre" or "cider" which became more and more popular
in Normandy and later, throughout France, between the
14th and the 19th centuries. The origins of Calvados
are more difficult to trace. The first official written
reference to the distillation of cider with a view to
obtaining drinking brandy dates back to the 16th
century or, more precisely, the 28th of March 1553,
when the event is referred to in a diary kept by a
gentleman from the Cotentin, the Lord of Gouberville.
Whether he was a forerunner or whether he was referring
to something which was common practice, he was in all
events the first person to write about it. It was
during the same period, in 1600, that the apple brandy
distillers guild was first established. This was how
apple brandy first obtained its birth certificate. Its
christening, however, did not take place for another
200 years. The legend tells the story of the
shipwrecked "El Salvador", one of the vessels from the
invincible Armada which was smashed to pieces on the
rocks off the coast of Normandy. However much truth
there is in this, it would seem that the name
"Calvados" was first of all given to the county before
being used for the drink which was in large part made
there. Indeed, before the Revolution, the sale of
Norman apple brandy was limited to the area in which it
was produced : a way of protecting the market held by
the wine-based brandies. In 1792 and 1793 exchanges of
products were liberalised. Due to difficulties in
communications, the brandy from the production area
nearest to Paris benefited from this. Calvados brandy,
soon to be known as "Calvados," became popular in the
French capital. In 1942, Calvados was granted the
"Appellation d'Origine Controlée" status (regarding
zones of production and methods of distillation).
A BOUQUET OF 9 MILLION TREES

Today, orchards can have two types of appearance : -
the type with apple trees which were planted some time
ago. This is typical of the traditional Normandy
countryside where the cows graze in the shade of tall
apple trees. - orchards with low apple trees or
specialised orchards which are devoted entirely to the
production of fruit. Here, the grass is not maintained
by animals but by machines. The grass is mown regularly
so as to form a lawn which will cushion the fall of the
apples. If we add all of the different types together,
we find ourselves with an orchard of over 9 million
trees ! This is why the Normans will tell you that the
best seasons in which to live in Normandy are the
spring (just imagine a bouquet of 9 million trees
covered with pink and white blossom...) and the
autumn... when the air is heavy with the scent of ripe
apples.
THE PRODUCTION OF CALVADOS

In the beginning there was the cider apple... In fact
it is quite wrong here to use the singular, as several
hundred varieties of cider apple have been traced and
listed. The cider apple is very different from the
eating apple. Often small in size, it is particularly
rich in tannin, on which the flavours are fixed. Cider
apples are not suitable for eating and are divided into
four families : sweet, bitter, * bitter-sweet and sour.
To make a balanced cider and a harmonious Calvados, the
producer must blend these different varieties :
Calvados is never made using a single variety of apple
! Pears for perry making are also mixed with the apples
in order to give greater acidity. They are used to
varying degrees in different regions. In the Pays
d'Auge, 80% of the apples used are of the bitter or
bitter-sweet types, thus giving the characteristic
Calvados Pays d'Auge. The juice is extracted from
apples which have grown and ripened in the area covered
by the "appellation d'origine controlée" and this
juice, after being fully fermented using completely
natural methods, becomes distilling cider. Distilling
generally takes place in the spring and autumn, using
carefully codified traditional processes. There are
three different named types of calvados : "Calvados",
"Calvados Pays d'Auge" and "Calvados Domfrontais" and
their geographical areas of production are strictly
defined by the Institut National des Appellations
d'Origine (I.N.A.O.). All the operations concerning the
fabrication of these brandies - apple harvesting,
elaboration and distillation of ciders - must take
place within the respective areas. This means there are
three types of Calvados, and the three AOC labels
"describe" three distinct areas and three distinct
traditions. "Calvados Pays d'Auge" originates in clayey
limestone soils is the result of a double distillation.
"Calvados Domfrontais" originates in granite soils that
are damper and abound in pear trees. In the Domfront
region these pear trees, often several centuries old,
are as numerous as apple trees, which explains why
brandy pears are present in larger quantities in the
ciders destined for distilling - there is a minimum of
30% brandy pears in the must. "Calvados Domfrontais" is
obtained by one distillation, using a patent still.
"Calvados", although the mode of distillation is not
prescribed by regulation, is usually produced by a
patent still. It is obvious that the two distinct ways
of distilling give different products. Professionals
esteem that "Calvados Pays d'Auge" is richer but
recommend a longer minimum ageing process. They
therefore recommend you to try first the "Hors d'Age"
quality of "Calvados Pays d'Auge". "Calvados" and
"Calvados Domfrontais" can be appreciated when younger,
but ageing does not alter their qualities.
THE DUAL MAGIC OF THE STILL
The double distillation still

which is required for the AOC "Calvados Pays d'Auge" is
the traditional type of still. Distillation takes place
in 2 successive heating processes : First distillation
: this is carried out using the cider and consists in
obtaining the "brouillis" or "petites eaux" which
contains 28 to 30% alcohol. Care is taken to remove the
"heads" and "tails" which contain compounds that are
not desirable for the final brandy. Second distillation
: this is the distillation of the "petites eaux". It is
the final distillation and the "heads" and "tails" are
removed once again. To be entitled to bear the name
"Calvados", the final distillation must not exceed 72%.
The still is made up of 6 parts : the hearth : this is
the source of heat, provided usually from wood or gas.
the boiler : this is made in copper and it is
positioned over the hearth. It takes the cider which is
to be distilled and can hold amounts varying from 3 to
25 hl. the cowl: this is made in copper and is either
olive or onion-shaped or the shape of a Moor's head. It
covers the top of the boiler and extends into the
gooseneck. It collects the vapours from distillation,
Oder Spirit vapour Liquid alcohol prevents the foam
from the cider from being driven towards the cooler and
sends the heavier vapours back to the boiler. the coil
: this is also made in copper. It is a spiral-shaped
tube projecting from the gooseneck which is positioned
in a tank of cold water. The vapours which come through
the gooseneck condense in the coil. the cooler : this
is the tank containing the water for cooling. the cider
heater : this is the energy saving device". It contains
the cider for the next distillation and, as a pipe goes
through it which contains the vapours from the
distillation actually taking place, it contributes to
the cooling of the vapours and at the same time, warms
the cider. The cider to be distilled can thus reach 65°
which would otherwise require 5 hours' heating in the
boiler.
The column still.

This is used for "Calvados" and "Calvados Domfrontais".
It is made up of 3 parts : the boiler, the column which
is referred to as the exhausting column which has 12 or
15 plates and the concentrating column which is usually
made up of 8 plates. The cider enters the first column
through the top. It then passes downwards from plate to
plate. Due to the heat, the more volatile compounds
(water and esters) evaporate. The water vapour given
off from the cider moves upwards and is enriched as it
bubbles through the cider with the volatile compounds :
alcohol, esters and flavours. It is then concentrated
in the smallest column which produces brandy directly
at 72% maximum. The column still must be fitted with 3
valves which enable the separation of the "heads" and
"tails" and it must have a maximum flow rate of 250 hl
of cider per 24 hours.
THE ART OF GOOD AGEING

Calvados matures in casks made from very dry oak in
which the contact with the wood provides all of the
necessary elements for its successful completion. The
tannin-based substances in the wood give it its natural
colour and, through continual reactions between the
young brandy and the wood, combined with the oxidating
effect of the air in the cellars, the Calvados acquires
all of its fragrance and fullness. Its bouquet
intensifies and its colour deepens, changing from a
golden colour to deeper and deeper shades of amber.
Each cellar master has his own know-how and practices :
there is no standard method for the ageing of Calvados.
Depending on the temperament of the producer which
inevitably shows in his brandy, on how full-bodied the
brandy is and consequently on how easily it absorbs the
tannin, the Calvados will be kept in casks of larger or
smaller sizes and for longer or shorter periods. The
work of the cellar master is not limited to just
allowing the Calvados to mature. Like an alchemist, he
will concoct skillful blends of brandies of different
ages, coming from different harvests and areas, in
order to combine the qualities of each of them.
How to read the labels
The bottles of Calvados which are available are divided
into 2 families : the vintages and the blends.
- The vintages (cf. 1954)
- when a year is indicated on a
bottle of Calvados, this means that the latter has been
produced from a single distillation. Certain producers
also indicate the year in which the Calvados was
bottled on the label. This date is important as, once
Calvados has been bottled, it stops ageing.
- The blends (cf. "20 ans d'âge" - 20 years old)
- the age
indicated on a bottle of Calvados is that of the
youngest Calvados used in the blend. Thus, in the case
of our example, Calvados which is labelled as being 20
years old can also contain apple brandies which are 40
or 50 years old, but none which are less than 20 years
old.
Some of the most common categories:
- "Three stars"-"Three apples" or a similar rating
- This means
that the Calvados has matured for a minimum of 2
years in the wood.
- "Vieux"-"Réserve"
- a minimum of 3 years' ageing
- "V.O."-"Vieille Réserve"-"VSOP"
- a minimum of 4 years'
ageing
- "Extra"-"XO"-"Napoléon"-"Hors d'Age"-"Age Inconnu"
- a
minimum of 6 years' ageing.
In the case of a blended Calvados, only the age of the
youngest Calvados is indicated.
L'AIRE D'APPELLATION CALVADOS

10 million bottles of Calvados are sold each year. 50%
are shipped abroad, mainly to European markets, the
largest being Germany. However, some are sold in
south-east Asia and the United States.
Old Calvados, young Calvados, both can be appreciated
in different situations...

Connoisseurs obviously tend to prefer the nobler
brandies. Any producer will tell you : "The best
Calvados is a Calvados which has spent a long time in
the wood!" 10 or 20 years in the cask. Time has done
its work and the Calvados has lost all of its
aggressivity but has kept its strength. The flavours
are more complex but they have kept their specificity.
A vintage Calvados should be kept for moments of
tranquillity spent in good company. For the more lively
moments, such as aperitifs, receptions etc. where
tranquillity is not often to be found and where
freshness and vigour are most appreciated, a vintage
Calvados would be out of place.
This is where the "New Vogue Calvados" comes in. New
Vogue Calvados is made up of young Calvados which are 2
or 3 years old at the most and which the barmen in
Normandy serve expertly on ice, as a long drink mixed
with tonic water and in cocktails.
Some recipes invented by the Normandy Barmen's Association
- The Norman
- Ingredients : 3/10 Calvados 3/10 Pommeau de
Normandie 4/10 orange juice 1 dash of grenadine 1 ice
cube per glass Preparation : in a bowl. Mix well.
- Calvados on ice
- Serve 3 dl of young Calvados with 2 ice cubes
- Calvados in a long drink
- The most successful mix is
with tonic water which adds a touch of bitterness and a
sparkle of bubbles. The Calvados provides the generous
flavour of apples. The ideal proportions are as follows
: 3/10 Calvados for 7/10 tonic water Some members of
our panel like to add an ice cube.
- The Big Apple
- Created by Jean-Paul Thomine during the
American film Festival in Deauville Ingredients : 3/10 Calvados 3/10 Péché Mignon 4/10 Noilly Prat Preparation
: in a mixing jug.