As the saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. And while moderation is key, there is no denying that these delicious apple based spirits will have you bobbing your head into a barrel in no time.
Clear Creek Distillery – Eau de Vie de Pomme – Barrel Aged 8 years
Location: Oregon
Price: $45
Score: 97 Pts
A wonderland of spice with scents of cinnamon apple, nutmeg and cloves that are rounded out with a hint of rich caramel. Creamy textured with juicy acidity, its splendid fruit characters bring on a lovely encore of black pepper on the finish. Delightfully addicting. -JA
Germain-Robin – Apple Brandy
Location: California
Price: $62
Score: 96 Pts
Distilled from local Anderson Valley apples, the delicate fruit aromatics in this are both vibrant and complex. Soft while full of depth, the palate is decorated with flavors of pear, dried orange peel and vanilla bean with a nice savory character on the finish. -JA
Schladerer – Obstwasser
Location: Germany
Price: $39
Score: 94 Pts
From the wondrous Black Forest of Germany is this delicious eau-de-vie distilled from both apples and pears. Crisp, clean and full of succulent fruit notes along with a sense of minerality and white pepper on the palate. Silky, fruity and utterly divine. -JA
Domaine Dupont – Fine Reserve Calvados
Location: France
Price: $47
Score: 95
Like strolling through an apple orchard in the brisk morning air, this Calvados further introduces fragrances of vanilla, lemon peel and iris. With a nearly perfect composition of sweet, acidic and bittersweet apples, it expresses an earthy depth and dried fruit characters. Simply stunning. -JA
Coquerel – Fine Calvados
Location: France
Price: $37
Score: 92
A real treat with a pleasant perfume of country apple, dried apricot, butterscotch and toffee. A little bit of heat is softened by a hint of sweetness that plays well with its balanced structure and nicely concentrated flavors of ripe pear and fresh cashews. -JA
