Calvados, Pommeau, Cognac, and Armagnac are all treasures of French heritage, but they differ profoundly in their origins, ingredients, production methods, and taste. Here's a clear guide to understanding what sets these iconic spirits apart.
🥃 Calvados: Norman apple brandy
Calvados is a brandy obtained by distilling cider (apples, sometimes pears), produced exclusively in Normandy. It is then aged in oak barrels for at least two years.
Ingredients: cider apples (and pears according to the AOC)
Alcohol: 40% vol. on average
Taste: aromas of baked apple, vanilla, wood, spices
Uses: digestive, Norman cuisine, cocktails
🍷 Pommeau: the sweetness between cider and calvados
Pommeau is not a brandy, but a regional aperitif made by blending unfermented apple must and young Calvados. It is aged in barrels for at least 14 months.
Ingredients: apple must + calvados
Alcohol: approximately 17% vol.
Taste: sweet, fruity, mellow, very aromatic
Uses: aperitif, accompaniment to foie gras, cheeses, desserts
👉 Pommeau is sweet and mild, Calvados is drier and more powerful.
🍇 Cognac: the elegance of Charente grapes
Cognac is a wine brandy produced in the Cognac region of Charente. It is distilled twice in a Charente still and then aged in oak barrels.
Ingredients: white wine (Ugni Blanc)
Alcohol: approximately 40% vol.
Taste: floral, fruity, elegant, evolving towards rancio with age
Uses: tasting, digestif, high-end cocktails
👉 Cognac is finer, often rounder and more floral than Calvados.
🍇 Armagnac: the more rustic ancestor
Armagnac, produced in Gascony, is also a wine brandy, but distilled only once, which preserves its substance and intensity. It is also aged in oak barrels, often for longer than cognac.
Ingredients: white wine (Ugni Blanc, Baco, etc.)
Alcohol: approximately 40% vol.
Taste: more powerful, fruity, spicy, rustic, with a nice depth
Uses: digestive, gastronomy, collection
👉 Armagnac is more full-bodied and earthy than cognac, and more complex than calvados.
🎯 Simple summary
Calvados: distilled apples – Normandy – fruity, dry, woody
Pommeau: apple must + calvados – sweet, aperitif
Cognac: double-distilled wine – Charente – elegant, floral
Armagnac: single-distilled wine – Gascony – intense, rustic
✨ Michellot's advice
Do you like fruit and freshness? Choose a Pays d'Auge Calvados like our Maquisards x Michel Huard.
Do you prefer roundness and finesse? Try a Grande Champagne cognac like Maquisards Origine.
Looking for depth and strength? Treat yourself to a Bas-Armagnac, such as Maquisards x Dartigalongue.
