Review by: Raygun

Famille DuPont has a series of cask finishes, finishing their Calvados in various whisky, marc, beer, and rum casks. Double distilled on a Charente alembic. Given the price of Caroni, this might be as close as I ever get to trying it. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distillery: DuPont

Bottler: DuPont 

Region/style: Calvados Pays d’Auge

ABV: 45%

Age: 6 years, with a 5 month finish in a Caroni rum cask.

Color: 0.3 pale gold. Natural color and no additives.

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Nose: Apples, both fresh and baked, and a dose of diesel fumes. I’ve never had Caroni, but if this is what a finish does, it must be strong stuff.      

Palate: Very crisp. Lots of apple flavor with some buttery tart crust. Grapefruit as well. Not as much diesel as the nose, but there’s something peculiar going on, some sort of petroleum flavor and a bit of glue. 

Finish: Apples and more diesel and glue. Pretty similar to the palate. There’s a nice savory element that comes out, though I’m not loving the chemical aftertaste. Oak is pretty light.  

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Conclusion: Not quite sure how I feel about this one. There are some good elements, though I feel the cask clashes a little rather than harmonizing well. Diesel flavor is not really what I’m looking for in Calvados. It is something different. Not my particular cup of tea.

Score: 74

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent brandy worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.