Drinking The World

“I'll toss out a quick two cents about apple brandies. If I were to make a general statement about how North American apple brandies differ from French Calvados, I'd say that the NA ones are fruitier and less heady. In general they are 'cleaner' and, I think, more approachable than their traditional French counterparts. St. George's, Clear Creek's, several different Michigan ones I've tried. As a cidermaker, I suspect it comes down to fermentation practice, rather than cultivar or distillation. I grow the same apples - the biggest difference between French and American apples is in polyphenolic content, which stays in the pot. But the acetates and diacetyl that are distinct in Calvados are also present in a lot of cidre - at least compared to American cider. Slow, cool fermentations with native orchard yeast.”
-Charles McGonegal, Aeppeltreow Winery, Wisconsin-