Absinthe Gustave
-15%
+ a free sample of Gustave barrel-aged
This Calvados differs from its sisters in flavor thanks to the sugar and the fruity aromas that the apple contribute through its life-long maceration directly in the bottle.
It is therefore especially fruity and sweet and is well-suited above all else as a digestif, served either lightly chilled or at room temperature.
The history of Christian Drouin's Calvados began in 1960, when Christian Drouin Senior from Rouen bought the farm of Sainte-Anne in the Pays d'Âuge, in order to produce Calvados of the highest quality. This ambitious enterprise worked well, partly because he employed Pierre Pivet, at that time probably the most famous distiller of eau-de-vie de cidre, cider brandy.
The Drouins are interested in quality, not quantity: for this reason, the new plantation has been organized in the traditional manner, with only traditional plant sorts planted, which develop high-stemmed trees. They produce relatively little crop, but of a very special quality. The Haus Drouin managed to receive countless medals and honorable prizes, including amongst them the award of best Calvados cellarer.
This Calvados with an apple in the bottle is definitely a sight! The trick of using a pear in the bottle has been known for some time now: after placing a bottle over the still fresh fruit, it ripens to its fullest potential. Still, it happened for the first time in 1981 in Christian Drouin's garden that an apple was also allowed to ripen in the bottle. It was actually a relatively wild lottery, aimlessly placing bottles over countless fruits of the apple tree. And it's also impossible to place a bottle over many blossoming pieces of fruit, because the branches break due to the weight of the bottles.
Once therefore has to be patient and wait until the tree lets a few of its countless, embryonic and sensitive fruits fall to the ground. Then you search for the hopeful apples that are still small enough and will therefore still grow for a long time, and these receive the bottle. Still, the success rate is only around 50%. Apples are simply especially sensitive fruits and even their shape lends them to be less convenient than pears in this process. When it all goes well, the fruit and the bottle can grow extremely old together. The apple won't spoil thanks to the production of the cider brandy.
You only have to make sure that the fruit is continuously completely covered by the conserving liquid, so for example you will have to re-fill the bottle once you have drank enough Calvados Pomme Prisonnière to expose the apple to air. The cute bottle with the apple will have been carefully and thoroughly cleaned by Christian Drouin and then filled with 1 liter of Calvados Pays D'Âuge at 40% ABV.
Lightly chilled or at room temperature.