Domaine Dupont Pays D'Auge Millesime 1980 (42.0%): Today I returned to my samples box and picked this Calvados from Domaine Dupont. Distillation happened six months after the cider is fermented from 100% apples and set aside to rest. It is double distilled in 1980 and the eau de vie is aged first in a large oak tun and then finished in 400 liters toasted oak casks before it got bottled in 2016 when it was approximately 36 years old.
Color: Medium amber color with an orange hue and with barely moving thick legs.
Nose: Still bone dry apple cider, cranberry juice and Kriek lambic. Bruised small apples, molasses and new leather bound books. Underground cellar and mold. A couple drops of water muted the fruity aromas... It's more mushroomy and moldy. It resembles more a damp basement than a romantic underground cellar now.
Palate: Old wood, damson plums and apple compote. Nuts 4 Nuts (specific reference for my NYC peeps) honey roasted nuts, cigar butts and worn leather upholstery. Overbrewed green tea and soft Gala apples. Yep, water wasn't the right idea on the palate as well.
Finish: Long with distinct white pepper notes. Green wood, grape seeds and chewable vitamins.
Overall: First of all, how many more times do I think that I will have a chance to taste a 36yo Calvados..? Not too many in a lifetime for sure... Therefore I am quite dumfounded now. Oakiness is amazingly well handled for a spirit at this age. It is woody for sure but not overwhelmingly at any stage. Fruity and sweet notes are fighting the good fight from nose to finish and keep the balance. Such a well constructed, layered but also easy to drink, elegant and not demanding spirit. Simply beautiful...
Price: $200
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