Asta Maurice Calvados 47 years 1963 - 2011 #AMF005

Nose

Freshly baked bread, orange marmalade, dark nougat and walnut cake. The apples are there, but after 47 years in a barrel, they are very much pushed into the background, giving way to other very nice aromas.

Taste

Toasted nuts, quite a few meaty notes. Dark fruit and fair apples. The wood has converted all the sharp edges is mild refined flavours. The wood is clearly present, but certainly not overpowering. the Calvados has spent the last 10 to 12 years in demi-johns, which is why the fruity character is well preserved.

Finish

Lovely long finish, where the apple character really comes into its own. 

Christian Drouin is one of the leading producers of Calvados in Normandy. The story of the family house begins in 1960, when Christian Drouin senior acquired a farm with cider apple orchards near Honfleur. He began distilling his own cider but initially sold very little, gradually building an exceptional stock of mature Calvados. His son Christian joined the business in 1969, and the first commercial bottlings followed in 1979.

The house subsequently developed into a specialist in mature and vintage Calvados. For its Calvados Pays d’Auge, different varieties of cider apples are used, fermented and then double distilled in copper stills. Maturation takes place mainly in small oak casks. Alongside former Calvados barrels, Drouin also uses casks that previously held sherry, port and other fortified wines.

With Guillaume Drouin, the third generation is now involved in continuing the family tradition. Alongside blends and an exceptionally broad collection of vintage Calvados, the house also produces Pommeau de Normandie, cider, perry and apple based spirits. Its combination of family tradition, extended maturation and curiosity about different cask types has made Christian Drouin one of the most distinctive names in Calvados.

Asta Morris is a Belgian independent bottler founded in 2009 by whisky enthusiast and writer Bert Bruyneel. His interest in whisky began in 1994 and developed into considerable expertise through tastings, articles and his involvement with the Wee Dram Whisky Society. Asta Morris initially focused on writing and hosting tastings, but soon took the next step by selecting and bottling distinctive casks.

The first release appeared in 2010: a Glenlivet distilled in 1977. It was followed by carefully selected single cask whiskies from BenRiach and many other distilleries. Asta Morris gradually built a strong reputation for small releases, characterful cask selections and bottlings that allow the identity of both distillery and maturation to shine through. Many whiskies are released at cask strength or with only limited reduction.

Over the years, the range expanded to include rum under the Rasta Morris name, French spirits as Asta Maurice and NOG! gin matured in former whisky casks. Whisky nevertheless remains at the heart of Asta Morris: distinctive, small-scale and selected for enthusiasts who enjoy discovering something beyond the familiar path.