The crowning glory of Toutain’s range.

Toutain, a family run business who have been distilling Calvados since 1921, and are now in their fifth generation. Toutain are strict traditionalists, who continue to grow their apples in old fashioned “haute-tige”, or “high stem” orchards. 20 different varieties of apple are grown, with a mixture of sweetness levels.

The apples are collected at their perfect ripeness, between September and December, and immediately crushed so their flavour is at its most vivid. The juice is then naturally fermented, without added yeast, for between 6 to 8 months. The cider is then distilled in a single column still. The casks used by Toutain are seasoned with cider, so that the spirit is not overwhelmed with oakiness.

This bottling has been aged for an astounding 45 years. Maturation begins in huge, 1000 litre tuns, in which the spirit sits for 15 years. It is then moved into a smaller, 600 litre barrel for another 15 years, before spending the final 15 years in a 225 litre cask. The maturation is designed to maintain the spirit’s “flexibility” and balance, even at great age.

The final product is an intensely oaky Calvados, with notes of sawdust, dried fruits, leather, flowers, aromatic spices, tarte tatin, Madeira wine, crunchy green apples, sweet cloudy apple juice, pastry, almonds, toffee and gentle vanilla.

A tour de force from this fantastic producer, this is one of the very best Calvados bottlings you are ever likely to encounter. Exceptional.

• Distillery / brand
  Toutain
• Country
  France
• Bottler
  Distillery Bottling
• Non-chillfiltered
  No
• Natural colour
  No
• SKU
  037520