I had been looking at distillation for many years. You don't visit France's Normandy and Brittany regions four times or relish nursing a glass of warming Calvados in your hands after a wonderful meal, to not fall in love with the aromas, the mythology and the wonders of distillation. Being a little late to the party I needed to engage the skills of (hopefully) a local distiller and distillery. Over a period of 3 years I had drunk as many local distillates as I could and 2 in particular stood out to me. One because it was the most remarkable case of making a silk purse from a sow's ear and the other because the distillate was silky smooth, with a warming heat but little burn, a full mouthfeel with a creamy texture and wonderful preservation of the apple aromatics. The alchemists in question were Ludlow Distillery , their unique wood fired Kothe still (made in Germany) and in particular, master distiller Shaun Ward. Strangely I had known Shaun for many years but his entry into the world of distillation from music has been recent. Ideal as far as I was concerned. We could work on this together.
Our first trial used a Foxwhelp Cider at 5% alcohol, stable after 6 months in tank post-fermentation. Why Foxwhelp you ask? Simple, the aromatics are generous and the tannin levels are low. The distillate yield might be low with such low abv but that is the nature of our Broxwood Foxwhelp cider apple trees. The resulting distillate is very smooth, with a wonderful creaminess, a gentle warming heat, and a remarkable preservation of the apple aromatics. We sent it straight to bottle after proofing, allowing it to rest for the year.
"The Power and the Glory," as we named it, is a glorious floral apple spirit (eau de vie) with a long, pleasing creaminess. Many thanks to Johan from Pomologik in Sweden and Jörg Geiger from Germany for all their advice and help with this eau de vie and we look forward to many more.
After this successful trial, it was clear there were many opportunities ahead. All I had to do was choose the appropriate ciders and perries to get the best results. Encouraged by the first run we took a portion of the Foxwhelp distillate and a quarter cask Laphroaig barrel, poured in the juice of Yarlington Mill cider apples, and then let the mix rest for almost 12 months. What emerged after this short sleep? A liquid similar to, but certainly not, a pommeau. The 19% abv confluence of wood, smoke, apple, vanilla, clove, and spice is more like a plum pudding delight, sweet enough to let the warming spirit sing, but perfect as an after-dinner drink. "Grist for the Mill" is our second creation and has met with a lot of appreciation.
With the wind behind our sails, we then delivered some cider suitable for an "apple brandy." A couple of the ciders presented some challenges, but overall, the more tannic and alcoholic blends resulted in a great spirit yield. Perfect for maturing over the next 3 years in a mixture of casks previously filled with rum, sherry, port, and bourbon. This apple brandy is currently on its own meandering voyage over the next 3 years taking in the influences of the spirit, the wood and oxidation. We wait with bated breath for time to pass and its delights to be revealed. Thanks to Yann Gilles (Malus & Vitis) from France gave us some incredibly useful advice on this project.
This is one cross county lines collaboration that sees endless opportunities, bringing together the craft and skills of distillation and cider making in the Marches region.