Calvados is a French spirit made in Normandy. Producers distil apple cider into a an eau de vie which is then aged in wooden casks. Although not as well-known, it can compare favourably with rival aged spirits including Cognac, Armagnac and whiskey. Earlier this year, four Irish producers came together to launch a more local version – Irish Apple Brandy.
Michael O’Callaghan of Longueville House was the first to distil his cider into brandy more than 30 years ago. He travelled to Calvados to learn the process and buy a still. His son William continues the family business using apples from their 30-acre orchard. “This year has been very positive” he says. “We are very small, but it has been selling steadily away and growing every year.”
Boann 1848 is an intriguing mix of French Calvados and Irish Brandy. It celebrates the flying of the Irish Tricolour for the first time in 1848, woven by some sympathetic French women. The blend includes 45% eight-year-old Calvados, 35% three-year-old Calvados matured in French oak barrels, and 20% triple-distilled Irish Apple Brandy aged in Bourbon barrels.
Stonewell is based in west Cork, where it produces a range of ciders and other interesting drinks. Daniel Emerson tells me it was a huge investment, but adds that he has always been a “huge fan” of Calvados. “A 10-year-old Calvados is surreal.” Stonewell began distilling in 2018. Some 756 bottles of Orr were made of the first release. Four different types of cask types were used, each bringing a layer of flavour.
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The 80 is a collaboration between two neighbours – apple grower and cider maker Con Traas, and Jennifer Nickerson, master distiller at Tipperary Boutique Distillery, which makes some very fine whiskey and other spirits. Traas provided the cider, which was then distilled and aged in first fill sherry cask for three years.
The four Irish apple brandies below are certainly as good as most Calvados and would make a great Christmas gift. In addition to these, Highbank in Co Kilkenny produces a very fine apple brandy, which it calls brandey.
Longueville House Irish Apple Brandy
40%, €41-46 For a 50cl bottle
Smooth, full-bodied with subtle apples and dried fruits, vanilla and a touch of honey.
From Celtic Whiskey, Dublin 2; Bradleys, Cork; O’Briens; Longuevillebeverages.com.
Boann 1848 Apple Brandy
42.5%, €46-47
Smooth with butterscotch, dried orange peel, tarte Tatin and spice, and a warming lingering finish.
From boanndistillery.ie; irishmalts.ie; Celtic Whiskey Shop, Dublin 2
The 80 Irish Apple Brandy
46%, €49.99 for a 50cl bottle
An elegant brandy with vibrant fresh apples, toasted nuts and a lovely creamy texture.
From Tipperarydistillery.ie; The Apple Farm Shop, Cahir, Co Tipperary. Celtic Whiskey; Number 21 off-licence, Cashel, Co Tipperary
Orr Irish Apple Brandy
46% abv, €112 for a 50cl bottle
Delicious, distinctive apple brandy with forward fruits, toffee apple, caramel and honey.
Bradleys, Cork; Blackrock Cellar, Co Dublin; Martins, Dublin 3; The Wine Centre, Kilkenny; The Celtic Whiskey Shop; McCambridges, Galway
