Chateau du Breuil Pays d'Auge Calvados Royal (41.0%): Well, since I still feel the buzz from yesterday's Domaine Dupont's Millesime 1980 it kinda made sense to continue the Calvados theme today with Chateau du Breuil's flagship expression "Calvados Royal". Although it doesn't carry an age statement it is known as one of the oldest expressions of the estate with a famously secretive recipe known to Cellar Master himself only. They say that the brandy is a vat of their very old barrels chosen by the Cellar Master not only by their age but also by their specific taste profiles suitable for this particular bottling. This is more or less the only info they give officially. Without any further ado:
Color: Light amber, polished copper pots color with oily, thick and steady legs.
Nose: First it noses like a rather young Calvados: Baked apples, apple pie and cinnamon sugar. After allowing it to air for a few minutes we start to get more mature aromas. Bitter chocolate, new leather shoes and bread dough. Shortbread cookies... Actually more like entering a French pastry shop on a freezing cold day in the middle of the winter: Hot cocoa smell, warm pastries straight out of the oven and customers' perfumes.
Palate: Very thick and jammy mouthfeel. Apple strudel, cheese danish and cinnamon dusting. Ground coriander, ginger jam and cream puffs. After waiting a little more: Melted butter, flan and toasted almonds.
Finish: Long, mostly under your tongue with mixed baking spices, chocolate chips and cake batter.
Overall: The clear winner is the texture here... Marvelous: It's thick, oily, viscous and mouth covering. And the spirit itself is a true blending masterpiece... I can tell that some very old and also rather young distillates are in the blend and they work together just perfect. Yeah, it's kinda expensive in the end to speak the truth and I certainly would be shifted towards other bottlings at this price category in the world of Calvados but it doesn't mean that the brandy is not worth its price tag. It's just a personal preference... Like instead of choosing the dependable and consistent spirit taking the risk of trying something new and unique. Or more like going for a single malt whisky you have never tried before instead of spending the same amount of money on a good blended whisky you know very well.
Price: $215
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