BHAKTA Spirits has released its first single-vintage Calvados, a 35-year-old expression from 1989 that marks the luxury spirits producer’s expansion beyond its Armagnac and whiskey stronghold.
The $235 bottle represents just three barrels from Normandy’s acclaimed Pays d’Auge region.
BHAKTA Calvados Earns Perfect Scores from Industry Critics
The Vermont and France-based spirits house, which maintains the world’s largest collection of single vintage spirits, distilled this Calvados from 20 heirloom apple varieties in 1989. The Beverage Tasting Institute awarded it 98 points and a Platinum medal, calling it “superlative… a benchmark well-aged Calvados.”
The release coincides with BHAKTA’s annual decade offerings: the 2005 Armagnac at $137 and the 1995 Armagnac at $189. According to the company, BHAKTA leads the U.S. Armagnac market in volume and revenue, positioning itself at the forefront of what it describes as a global luxury brandy resurgence.
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Calvados, like its grape-based cousin Armagnac, represents centuries of French distilling tradition. While Armagnac hails from Gascony in southwestern France, Calvados originates in Normandy’s apple orchards. The Pays d’Auge subregion, where this expression was produced, holds particular prestige among Calvados appellations.
BHAKTA Positions Heritage Brandy as Whiskey Alternative
The company targets whiskey drinkers seeking premium alternatives to bourbon, Scotch, and rye. This strategy appears to be working as BHAKTA reports growing consumer interest in heritage brandies among dark spirit enthusiasts.
This isn’t BHAKTA’s first use of aged Calvados. The apple brandy features in their flagship blend BHAKTA 1928, priced at $69, and appeared in the now sold-out BHAKTA 27-07, which combined Armagnac and Calvados at $80.
The official tasting notes describe a mahogany-colored spirit with aromas of summer fruits, cinnamon sugar, and stewed pears. The palate reveals honeysuckle, mulled cider, and pipe tobacco, finishing with fresh apples, citrus zest, and old oak.
BHAKTA’s complete Fifty Year Collection remains available, spanning five decades with bottles ranging from the 1965 Armagnac at $539 to the 1985 Armagnac at $289. The company plans to announce international expansion details for 2025 and 2026.
At 91.6 proof (45.8% ABV), the 1989 Calvados was distilled in France and finished in Vermont before hand-bottling in 2024. With only three barrels released, availability will be extremely limited for collectors and brandy enthusiasts.
