Brandy Visions - Charles McGonegal
By Jonathan M. Forester on Apr 1, 2009 | In Spirits, Artisanal Distilling | Send feedback »
“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-
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Welcome to Drinking the World; my thoughts on fine libations, special spirits, and fabulous cocktails. My name is Jonathan M. Forester and I'm a food & beverage writer / consultant. Formerly partner in Winterport Winery and Penobscot Bay Brewery from 2007-2009. I'm also in the process of starting up an artisanal, micro-batch distillery specializing in super premium spirits. These will include bourbon, rye, and single malt whiskey, peach, pear, and apple brandy, a variety of aged rum, and gin. The style will be American from the Gilded Age, the last 25 years of the 19th century.
I am going to add to this site as quickly as I can, but I am a bit pressed for time. I have around 200+ pieces already written to post here, as well as hundreds of cocktail recipes. As time permits I will add them to the archives.
If the post is dated prior to December 13, 2008, it was previously published at Slashfood.com / AOL.com.