208: Calvados and Apple Brandy Tasting

208: Calvados and Apple Brandy Tasting

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist January 15, 2020 Duration: 1:08:15

The tables are set with 6 stemmed glasses per person, each holding a tasting of Calvados or American Apple Brandy. There are over 60 settings. It is a sold out night. At 6:30 pm, the house lights are lowered and it is ready-set-go!

On this 1st of November we are here to taste brandy and find out the difference between Calvados and Apple Brandy, and believe me there is a very wide difference between these two spirits.

The event is is the kick off to the 25th Annual Franklin County CiderDays. I have asked Ambrosia Borowski to present, because like me we both love Calvados and have traveled to France to taste this spirit where it is born.

Calvados Tasting Ambrosia Borowski and Ria Windcaller Ambrosia Borowski and Ria Windcaller

This episode will follows my typical script of having an intro and an end. You also have the option to view the presentation at the Cider Chat YouTube Channel and see the slide show presentation too.

Here are the main topics discussed.

How to Taste Calvados

  • Look
  • Smell
  • Taste
  • Imagine

How to taste Calvados How to taste Calvados

History

  • Brandy
  • Calvados
  • American

History of Brandy, Calvados

Regions

  • Normandy
    • Climate
  • American
    • Major Regions

Regulations

  • Norman AOC
  • American Brandy Laws
  • Apple Jack
  • Brandy vs eau de vie

Regulation for Calvados and Brandy

Distillation

  • Alembic Still
  • Hybrid Still

Calvados distillation | how Calvados is made

Maturation

  • Barrel Types
  • Climate
  • Blending

Maturation with Calvados

Order of Products Tasted

  1. Uncle John's Apple Brandy, Michigan
  2. Rhine Hall - Apple Brandy - Louisville, Kentucky
  3. Copper & King Apple Brandy
  4. Sang-Froid single variety Grimes Golden, Maryland - this is a bonus Brandy that was brought to the Tasting by the producer
  5. Calvados Claque-Pepin Fine
  6. Calvados  Coquerel 
  7. Calvados Chauffe Coeur VSOP

Calvados and Brandy producers Slide 1: Calvados and Brandy producers

All these products can be found in the US. Ask your local liquor store to for these and other fine Calvados spirits.

Click on link below to view the Slide Show Presentation used at this Tasting

Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving!

Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts.


There’s a whole world in a glass of cider, and Cider Chat is your invitation to explore it. Hosted by award-winning cidermaker and writer Ria Windcaller, this podcast travels far beyond the bottle to meet the people who make the global cider culture so vibrant. Each conversation is a journey-you might find yourself in a heritage orchard learning the history of forgotten apple varieties, in a bustling taproom with an importer explaining regional traditions, or in a kitchen with a chef pairing cider with unexpected foods. The discussions get into the delightful nuances, too, whether that’s the semantics of what we even call this drink or how the concept of terroir translates from soil to sip. It’s not just about production; it’s about the community, the travel, and the stories that fermentation unlocks. This is for anyone curious about the craft, history, and sheer enjoyment of fermented apple juice in all its forms. So, pour a glass and settle in for a series that feels like a wide-ranging, informative, and genuinely good-humored chat with friends who happen to be obsessed with cider. You’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for every effervescent, tart, or sweet sip, hearing directly from the growers, makers, and enthusiasts who are shaping this drink’s exciting present and future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 501

Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
169: History of Alcohol Law | Marc Sorini [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:29
A History of Alcohol Law as presented by Marc Sorini at CiderCon2019, Chicago Attorney Marc Sorini is a Partner at McDermott Will & Emery LLP based in Washington. DC. Marc is considered the go-to attorney on the alcohol…
168: Barrel Aging Cider Inspiration [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:16
Using Oak Barrels in Cidermaking - What do you want to know? Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider based in Prince Edward County, Ontario Canada presented an extended seminar on Oak Barrels at CiderCon 2019 in Chicago. [captio…
167: Cider Vortex Tales | Chicago2019 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:09
167: Cider Vortex Tales | Chicago2019 This episodes highlights recordings made during Chicago Cider Week February 1-9, 2019. SHERYL YOUNGBLOOD w/ Terrell Carter CiderCon, the annual Trade Conference for members of the Un…
166: Cider Chat Live | Lift off CiderCon2019 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:12
166 Cider Chat Live | Life off CiderCon2019 I was able to squeak in a mini episode before setting off to Chicago for the annual cider trade conference "CiderCon" hosted by the United States Association of Cider Makers. I…
165: Monterey Bay Cider Tour | California [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:46
Monterey Bay, California cider tour April 12th & 13th, 2019 Reservations are open! Must be 21 years or older to attend. Tour Begins: 1pm Friday | April 12, 2019 in Capitola, California Meet the makers and orchardists of…
164: Soquel Cider's Organic Orchards | California [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:00
Soquel Cider's Organic Orchards | California Soquel Cider is located at the Everett Family Farm in Soquel, California. Laura and Rich Everett were looking for away to get back to the land and enjoying a bit of farming, w…
163: Pro Tips for Navigating CiderCon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:27
Pro Tips for Navigating CiderCon 2019 Ambrosia Borowski is the General Manager of The Northman a cider bar in Chicago. She also spearheaded Chicago Cider Week. In this chat, Ambrosia chats: Tips for making a Calvados Coc…
162: S. Martinelli & Co. | 150 Years of Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:41
S. Martinelli & Company was founded by Stephen Martinelli in 1868. The company is located, as it has always been, for the last 150 years in Watsonville, California. The first cider made by Stephen was a 7.5% alcohol by v…
161: Best of Show | Cider Judging [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:16
Best of Show | Cider Judging at Franklin County CiderDays 2018 is featured in this episode 161. Franklin County CiderDays takes place on the first weekend of November in "Franklin County" Massachusetts. This year 2019 wi…
160: The Way of the Amateur [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:04
The Way of the Amateur How do you pronounce Amateur? Did you know there is more than one way to approach this word? Do you use "amateur" as a compliment or an insult? If you are swinging back and forth on your answers to…