What non Whiskey or Rum Spirit (Cognac, Mezcal, Calvados etc) are we drinking?

BonnieSituation

Cazale wrote: »

I'm having a sneak watch of it albeit sans Calvados in the glass.

I didn't get a chance to. I guess Saturday it is so.

Black Sheep

I opened up my bottle of Cacique 500 last night.

My second bottle of it, and I still rate it highly but I think now that I'm drinking more rum these days I need to be really clear that is far below something like Appleton 12 year old in terms of quality. It's still very nice and you can definitely sip it, but there's none of the complex layering of flavour that Appleton do.

My Venezuelan friend has been recommending Santa Teresa 1796, will try that next.

There are few like El Dorado that I want to get my hands on as well, that I suspect might be worthy challengers to Appleton.

Cazale

Tried some calvados tonight for the first time ever. First up is the Chateau du breuil calvados 8 year old. A really inviting nose of fresh apples, honey, nuts and gooseberry. I never played in an orchard as a child but I imagine this is what it would have smelt like. In the mouth there was fresh apples, vanilla, wood and nuts. Smooth, well balanced with a medium finish.

Definitely a spring or summer drink rather than one for dark cold evenings. I could imagine having it after dinner or even a small one on a sunny Sunday morning. I enjoyed this and I'm intrigued by what Calvados has to offer. I have another six samples to get through but a full bottle might be in order.

odyssey06

I like cognac, calvados and armagnac but I dont think at this stage I am appreciating the differences between them.

I guess my palate isnt trained enough.

Cazale

The other Calvados I tried tonight is the Chateau du breuil 8 years old “Finition en fûts de Sauternes” (Sauternes finish). This is the same spirit as the one above aged in French oak casks but with an additional few months finished in casks that contained Sauternes wine.

I found this one more subtle on the nose with less fruit or apple to the fore. Sweet honey, floral notes and spice on the nose with apple in the background. Gentle. In the mouth there was honey sweetness, spice, wood, nutmeg and apple. Nice balance, light with a long finish.

I thought this was really nice and maybe nicer than the first sample. However as a Calvados novice the regular 8 year old was what I was expecting nose and mouth wise from an Apple Brandy so I think that one edged it for me tonight. I'll continue my Calvados journey later this week.

Cazale

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odyssey06 wrote: »

I like cognac, calvados and armagnac but I dont think at this stage I am appreciating the differences between them.

I guess my palate isnt trained enough.

Same here. I've ordered a good few samples to try and I'm watching a lot on YouTube. They are not as ubiquitous as whiskey though so it's hard to know what to go for. Hopefully I'll get a good understanding eventually but there will be a bit of stumbling about first I imagine!

Cazale

Cazale wrote: »

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I've ordered a good few samples to try

Speaking of samples I ordered a few more last night. 2020 was the year of whiskey and as anyone who reads the whiskey thread knows I have enough samples and full size bottles of whiskey to do me for the next few years. For the rest of the year I'm going to redirect most of my budget of 100-150 a month to rum, mezcal, brandy etc. Picked up the following:

Armagnac

• Baron de Lustrac 1968 - Armagnac from Baron de Lustrac, distilled in 1968
  
• Delord 1984 Bas-Armagnac - Bas-Armagnac from the year 1984 with deep wells of coffee, orange and vanilla notes.
  
• Delord 25 Year Old Bas-Armagnac - Distilled from four different grape varieties, Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Baco and Folle-Blanche before it was matured in oak barrels for 25 years.

Cognac

• Ragnaud Sabourin Cognac Florilege - An intense, aged Grande Champagne from Ragnaud Sabourin

Calvados

• Domaine Dupont 1977 Calvados - A 1977 vintage Calvados, which is bottled at cask strength without filtration.

Rum

• Gosling's Black Seal 151 Proof - A super high strength dark rum from Bermuda. (75.5%)
  
• Plantation XO Barbados 20th Anniversary - XO rum from Barbados, aged in bourbon barrels before being shipped to France for a secondary maturation in Cognac casks
  
• Clairin Sajous 2015 - An intriguing style of rhum agricole from Haiti. Double distilled before being bottled at full-strength.

Pisco

• Pisco Portón - Pisco from Peru
  
• Qollqe Italia Pisco - An artisan spirit made with late harvest grapes in Peru

Tequila

• Tres Sombreros Reposado - A reposado tequila (which means that it’s rested in oak casks for between two and twelve months)

Pastis

• Tarquin's Cornish Pastis - Southwestern Distillery's Cornish Pastis is the first pastis ever created in the UK
  
• Berger Pastis Vintage - A Pastis de Marseille from Swiss producer Berger

BonnieSituation

Cazale wrote: »

Speaking of samples I ordered a few more last night. 2020 was the year of whiskey and as anyone who reads the whiskey thread knows I have enough samples and full size bottles of whiskey to do me for the next few years. For the rest of the year I'm going to redirect most of my budget of 100-150 a month to rum, mezcal, brandy etc. Picked up the following:

Armagnac

• Baron de Lustrac 1968 - Armagnac from Baron de Lustrac, distilled in 1968
  
• Delord 1984 Bas-Armagnac - Bas-Armagnac from the year 1984 with deep wells of coffee, orange and vanilla notes.
  
• Delord 25 Year Old Bas-Armagnac - Distilled from four different grape varieties, Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Baco and Folle-Blanche before it was matured in oak barrels for 25 years.

Cognac

• Ragnaud Sabourin Cognac Florilege - An intense, aged Grande Champagne from Ragnaud Sabourin

Calvados

• Domaine Dupont 1977 Calvados - A 1977 vintage Calvados, which is bottled at cask strength without filtration.

Rum

• Gosling's Black Seal 151 Proof - A super high strength dark rum from Bermuda. (75.5%)
  
• Plantation XO Barbados 20th Anniversary - XO rum from Barbados, aged in bourbon barrels before being shipped to France for a secondary maturation in Cognac casks
  
• Clairin Sajous 2015 - An intriguing style of rhum agricole from Haiti. Double distilled before being bottled at full-strength.

Pisco

• Pisco Portón - Pisco from Peru
  
• Qollqe Italia Pisco - An artisan spirit made with late harvest grapes in Peru

Tequila

• Tres Sombreros Reposado - A reposado tequila (which means that it’s rested in oak casks for between two and twelve months)

Pastis

• Tarquin's Cornish Pastis - Southwestern Distillery's Cornish Pastis is the first pastis ever created in the UK
  
• Berger Pastis Vintage - A Pastis de Marseille from Swiss producer Berger

Samples? From where?

Pastis is one of my favourite things in his world.

Going on a pastis rampage when I'm in France is one of the best things in the world. Glorious.

Black Sheep

Gosling's Black Seal 151 Proof - A super high strength dark rum from Bermuda. (75.5%)

Interesting... I think I would like to try that. I'd taste it at 75% and then start diluting.

I'm not sure I've had a spirit neat which was any stronger than 64% abv, there are a few bourbons around that, and they're oddly drinkable, I taste them full whack and then dilute to the high 50s to keep some of the specialness.

Effects

odyssey06 wrote: »

I like cognac, calvados and armagnac but I dont think at this stage I am appreciating the differences between them.

Cognac and armagnac are fairly similar, in terms of where the base spirit comes from, grapes. Calvados is distilled from apples, or more appropriately, cider.

It's easy enough to tell the difference between apple and grape based spirits, but I haven't had enough armagnac to be sure I can tell it apart from cognac.

Adyx

Black Sheep wrote: »

Interesting... I think I would like to try that. I'd taste it at 75% and then start diluting.

I'm not sure I've had a spirit neat which was any stronger than 64% abv, there are a few bourbons around that, and they're oddly drinkable, I taste them full whack and then dilute to the high 50s to keep some of the specialness.

We got some delivered in work by mistake instead of the regular Goslings. The bottles are almost identical apart from the cap. One poor woman, who was well used to her dark rum, went home in a heap one night. Oops.

Cazale

BonnieSituation wrote:

Samples? From where?

BonnieSituation wrote:

Pastis is one of my favourite things in his world.

Yeah all samples from Master of Malt delivered up North. Should be down with me next week then. I never even heard of Pastis until the other day. France seems to have some interesting drinks to explore.

Cazale

Black Sheep wrote: »

Interesting... I think I would like to try that. I'd taste it at 75% and then start diluting.

I've had some Waterford new make spirit which was 71%. The 75.5% rum will be one to respect alright. I'll report on here when I try it. If I go missing it probably killed me

BonnieSituation

Cazale wrote: »

I've had some Waterford new make spirit which was 71%. The 75.5% rum will be one to respect alright. I'll report on here when I try it. If I go missing it probably killed me

CWS and Drink Store have that 151 proof in stock.


CWS have the 40% for 45EUR for the litre bottle.

interlocked

Cazale wrote: »

Tried some calvados tonight for the first time ever. First up is the Chateau du breuil calvados 8 year old. A really inviting nose of fresh apples, honey, nuts and gooseberry. I never played in an orchard as a child but I imagine this is what it would have smelt like. In the mouth there was fresh apples, vanilla, wood and nuts. Smooth, well balanced with a medium finish.

Definitely a spring or summer drink rather than one for dark cold evenings. I could imagine having it after dinner or even a small one on a sunny Sunday morning. I enjoyed this and I'm intrigued by what Calvados has to offer. I have another six samples to get through but a full bottle might be in order.

Your post reminded that I'd bought a bottle of Longeuville House Apple brandy nearly two years ago and forgotten all about it, (I presume it's a form of calvados as it's made from cider). Any way I eventually found it in a drawer, along with bottles of Talisker 10 and Black Bush that I'd also forgotten about.

Good man Cazale! (must get around to opening it now)

Cazale

interlocked wrote:

Good man Cazale! (must get around to opening it now)

Is there a finders fee coming?

Cazale

Cazale wrote:

Chateau du breuil calvados 8 year old.

The Whistler have a Calvados cask finish whiskey which is now sold out I think. They used Chateau du Breuil casks to finish the blend for around 15 months. A few of us tried it last year in a tasting and it got favorable reviews. Chateau du breuil have sent more casks over to Boann so expect another release of it.

odyssey06

Cazale wrote: »

The Whistler have a Calvados cask finish whiskey which is now sold out I think. They used Chateau du Breuil casks to finish the blend for around 15 months. A few of us tried it last year in a tasting and it got favorable reviews. Chateau du breuil have sent more casks over to Boann so expect another release of it.

That was my favourite from the tasting. I picked up a bottle of it.
Which I must get around to opening next time I'm watching something french though I am still working my way slowly through the Delamain XO cognac pale and dry.

limnam

Something I do with Calvados which really opens the flavors is put the glass over another glass with hot water like a Bain-Marie and gently heat up the calavados.

Probably best done in winter

Black Sheep

Bought a bottle of Stillgarden distillery's O'Maro as a gift for the missus. https://stillgardendistillery.com/omaro/

I'm sceptical, to be honest, but it's a good 'stocking filler' (Do we use that term for birthdays too? We do now).

I've tried various boutique-y bitter drinks, from the likes of Asterly Bros. in the Uk, and generally I find that Campari remains hard to beat for outright bitterness and also consistency of product.

But sure might as well give it a whirl.

BonnieSituation

Black Sheep wrote: »

Bought a bottle of Stillgarden distillery's O'Maro as a gift for the missus. https://stillgardendistillery.com/omaro/

I'm sceptical, to be honest, but it's a good 'stocking filler' (Do we use that term for birthdays too? We do now).

I've tried various boutique-y bitter drinks, from the likes of Asterly Bros. in the Uk, and generally I find that Campari remains hard to beat for outright bitterness and also consistency of product.

But sure might as well give it a whirl.

They're based in the same estate as Rascals. Anything to do with them at all?

Black Sheep

BonnieSituation wrote: »

They're based in the same estate as Rascals. Anything to do with them at all?

One of the founders is an investor in Rascals as well, so yes.

the beer revolu

Black Sheep wrote: »

Bought a bottle of Stillgarden distillery's O'Maro as a gift for the missus. https://stillgardendistillery.com/omaro/

I'm sceptical, to be honest, but it's a good 'stocking filler' (Do we use that term for birthdays too? We do now).
.

But sure might as well give it a whirl.

Interesting that they are claiming it as Ireland's first Amaro.
It is NOT Ireland's first Amaro.
We, at Blackwater Distillery, released an amaro in one of our Taster's Club boxes.

Black Sheep

the beer revolu wrote: »

Interesting that they are claiming it as Ireland's first Amaro.
It is NOT Ireland's first Amaro.
We, at Blackwater Distillery, released an amaro in one of our Taster's Club boxes.

I would be interested in doing a Campari-son between your products, if there was a chance. Do you still make it?

the beer revolu

Black Sheep wrote: »

I would be interested in doing a Campari-son between your products, if there was a chance. Do you still make it?

No, it was a once off. It wasn't terribly bitter, either.
To be fair to Stillgarden they probably didn't know we released an Amaro - I'm not even sure it was labelled as Amaro - but it was one.

Cazale

Cazale wrote:

I'll continue my Calvados journey later this week.

I've a proper dose of a cold which has interrupted my tastings. All my samples from Master of Malt have safely arrived but it would be a bonus if I could smell them! Back at it next week hopefully.

odyssey06

Nice short article in Decanter comparing Cognac v Armagnac:

Cognac distillation comprises a small-batch, double distillation in a Charentais copper pot still...
The traditional method of Armagnac production, dating back nearly 200 years, uses a single still, the Armagnacais alambic. This allows a continuous distillation, in contrast to the batch-by-batch, double distillation practised in Cognac. But there are a few double stills in Armagnac too, after the practice was revived in the early 1970s. To generalise, the eaux de vie made using the Cognac method are stronger (as they’re distilled twice) and, depending on your point of view, either finer or more straightforward – because only the middle part of the distillate, the heart, is used...
Is Armagnac more distinctive and varied than Cognac? Certainly. Does that make it better? It depends what you like.

https://www.decanter.com/spirits/how-to-differentiate-armagnac-from-cognac-246227/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=20200417_XDC-X_NWL_NW_weekly

Effects

I saw a still on wheels in the south of France a couple of years ago, in bad shape at a corpo depot. The town were hoping to restore it at some stage. I think I've a picture or two I can dig out.
Before then, I hadn't realised that distillers used to move their stills around to the various producers, distill the liquid for them, and then move on to the next one.

the beer revolu

Effects wrote: »

I saw a still on wheels in the south of France a couple of years ago, in bad shape at a corpo depot. The town were hoping to restore it at some stage. I think I've a picture or two I can dig out.
Before then, I hadn't realised that distillers used to move their stills around to the various producers, distill the liquid for them, and then move on to the next one.

Common in France and other countries for each village or area has a sort of communal still to which each household would bring their fermented produce to be distilled.

Cazale

Effects wrote: »

I saw a still on wheels in the south of France a couple of years ago, in bad shape at a corpo depot. The town were hoping to restore it at some stage. I think I've a picture or two I can dig out.
Before then, I hadn't realised that distillers used to move their stills around to the various producers, distill the liquid for them, and then move on to the next one.

I've attached a pic I found on Google but it would be good to see those. The communal still travelling around the French countryside distilling small batches of family harvests evokes such a romantic image.