Apple Brandy
The Château de Sassy is found in the heart of Normandy. This is a beautiful French region rich in history and famed for its food, cider and remarkable calvados. Sassy Calvados which has Appellation Calvados Controlée is a delicious ambassador for that celebrated apple spirit.
Sassy Calvados is based on the family recipe which dates from 1852. Once distilled, the eau de vie spends at least two years in oak barrels to give it structure, complexity and a lingering finish. The apple orchard has the environmental advantages of a no-chemicals philosophy. The grass is kept short by the best of organic lawnmowers, called sheep. The loam and clay soils located around the Chateau de Sassy are similar to that you might find in Bordeaux. The proximity to the forest gives the apples a distinctive acidity so prized in the production of this spirit.
Casks used are old
The company uses a column still to distil, which gives the spirit a light fruit taste. They distil 10,000L of cider a day in the copper still, which runs 24/7 to give consistency. They keep 30% of last year’s eau de vie in barrels, and on the last blending before bottling they add 70% of the new eau de vie to the original 30%. The casks used are old to maintain the apple flavours of the final calvados.
The aging process starts in small oak barrels (300L) to bring structure to the eau de vie, which is then transferred into barrels of up to 2000L. They move the eau de vie twice a year and transfer it between different barrels. This process of changing barrels will oxygenate the eau de vie to give a smoother mouthfeel. The resulting finished calvados is refined, full of flavour and lacking the harshness of some competitors. It’s smooth enough to be enjoyed simply over a chunk of ice in one’s best cut-glass tumbler.
Tasting notes:
Appearance: Clear light caramel
Nose: Cidre on the cork; green apples and caramel
Palate: apple, pear, white blossom, cut grass
Finish: Long, apple and honey
ABV 40%
Learn more about Maison Sassy here