Père Magloire

• Date of tasting: 23/10/26
• Where: Hedonism Wines, London
• With: Rebecca, Brand Rep of Père Magloire

Père Magloire Calvados Tasting Notes:

On this tasting, I tasted the following three core Calvados of Père Magloire.

VSOP

• 40% ABV, double distillation with pot still and column still, giving roundness; aged 4 years in old French oak barrels
• Refreshing yet smooth, volatile and zippy
• Can be used in French Negroni replacing Gin, or blended with ginger beer or rhubarb liqueur
• Retail Prices: £27(Waitrose)/ £38.50(Master of Malt)/ £44(Hedonism)

12 Years

• 40% ABV, single distillation with column still, aged 12 years in old French oak barrels
• Cooked apple aroma and flavour with nuance of baking spices
• Pair with aged Camembert or Gorgonzola
• Retail Prices: £61.95(Ministry of Drinks)/ £76(Hedonism) /£76.99(Drink Finder)

Héritage

• 40% ABV, double distillation, aged 20 to 50 years in old French oak barrels
• Chocolate, candy aromas and flavours, silky mouthfeel without feeling the alcohol
• Pair with chocolates or apple desserts
• Retail Prices: £130.95(Master of Malt)/ £149.52(Amazon)/ £156(Hedonism)

(Prices are based on the UK market and are for reference only. They reflect the pricing on each retailer’s official website around the time of tasting)

About Père Magloire

• Founded in 1821, named after Dominique Magloire, a local innkeeper, later known as Père Magloire
• One of the most long-lasting and renowned Calvados distilleries
• During WWII, a Norman pilot, Marcel Lèfevre, painted a portrait of Père Magloire on his plane, to show where he came from
• Sourcing apples locally

All three Calvados were delicious. I could really taste the apple and cidre flavours in them. As Calvados is exclusively produced in Normandy, more than anything, this tasting gave me a reason to tour Normandy.

Calvados Fast Fact

Apple juice is first fermented into cidre, which is then distilled into a spirit. Subsequently, the apple spirit is aged in barrels, followed by blending and dilution before bottling. Some distilleries use pears as well, but Pére Magloire holds an apple-only policy.

While apple brandy can be made anywhere in the world, Calvados can only be produced within the Calvados AOP (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) in Normandy, France.