Claque-Pepin Vieille Reserve Calvados, France

The finest form of apples and pears.

Before the 1880s, Calvados was a just local rustic beverage from Normandy, a region known to be growing so many apples the good folks of Northern France had to find innovative ways to preserve them. One of our favorites is squeezing them into a tasty eau-de-vie. We’re not the only ones: due to the refreshing deliciousness of the drink, Calvados was gaining popularity year by year, which sprouted more distilleries in the region, which increased the thoughtfulness of the distillation process and the quality of the drink. Nowadays, Calvados is a well-established beverage known all over the world for its refreshing elegance. Claque-Pépin, fittingly named after an apple variety, was started in 2005 by Benoît Louvet and is the first certified organic Calvados in the US.

Organic Vieille Réserve Calvados is a delicious treat of both apples and pears. Calvados is made from different types of apples that are used to eating: they are small, rugged, and they don’t look much, but they are full of tannin, which is responsible for providing the body, structure, texture, and mouthfeel to the Calvados. After the fruit has been harvested and cleaned, it is then fermented for a minimum of 21 days, (which makes it a Cider), and then distilled several times (which makes it a Calvados). Organic Vieille Réserve Calvados is then aged for an average of 6 years in oak barrels, developing heavenly color, a full texture, and a deep, complex flavor.