Calvados Michel Huard 1993

The Huard family have lived on the Le Pertyer property in the Suisse-Normand for five generations. Jean-Francois Guillouet, who recently took over for his retired grandfather Michel, is the seventh generation.

Nearly 1,800 trees on standard rootstock grace the 15 hectare (37 acre) property. The soil is loamy, composed of an ideal combination of silt and clay. About 30 varieties of apples are grown on the property, predominantly from the sweet and bittersweet categories.

The cider is fermented and aged for about eight months, then distilled only once in a traveling column still. The spirits then go into large, elongated barrels, stained black by time, or well-seasoned 400 liter barrels where there complex apple flavors develop.

This Hors d'Age release comes from a careful blend of barrels from 1990, 1992 and 1999. It shows deep green apple, vanilla, honey and a touch of almond. Its soft, oily mouth feel, initial attack and long finish can be attributed to this spirits single distillation.