Père Magloire X.O. Calvados

TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

Double distilled, it has a gorgeous aromatic complexity. With aromas of baked apple pie, cinnamon, and vanilla, you’d be happy to know that it tastes as good as it smells.

Perfectly balanced, this Père Magloire XO Calvados is aged more than nine years in century-old oak casks, giving it its slightly sweet, cidery flavor.

Elegant and exceptional, this offering by Calvados House won Gold at Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in 2020, and Silver at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2016.

PREPARATION AND PAIRINGS

Calvados is incredible enjoyed neat. Have a glass as you relax on your couch after a long day. If you must pair it with food, you’ll be glad to know that it’s a very versatile drink.

Have your Père Magloire XO Calvados with some soft cheeses, like this Blue Stilton. Or try out a traditional Normandy treat: some apple sorbet with two ounces of Calvados. Delicious and fresh, as a palate cleanser or a dessert.

And of course, this apple brandy’s flavors are further accentuated when paired with slices of pears, peaches, and yes, apples.

ON THE WINGS OF BRAVERY

Founded in 1821, and named for a Norman innkeeper who served exceptional calvados by the name of Dominique Magloire, Père Magloire has become one of—if not the most important brand for Calvados in France.

So well-loved is this brandy that in the fight alongside Russian soldiers in the Normandie-Norman unit of the FAFL (Free French Aerial Forces) during World War II, a fighter pilot by the name of Marcel Lefèvre had a portrait of Père Magloire painted on the side of his plane.

When asked about the image, he answered, “This, is Père Magloire, a Norman who never gives up!” He was honored and decorated posthumously Hero of the Soviet Union, and Companion of Liberation.

Store your bottle upright in a cool, dark place, ideally between 12 and 15°C. There is no need to refrigerate cognac. To maintain the moistness of the cork and prevent it from chipping, occasionally tilt your bottle horizontally two to three times, then restore it to the upright position. Opened bottles of cognac should be consumed within six months, as the alcohol may oxidize and begin to lose its flavor.