Production
Avallen is a Calvados made from 40 varieties of apple grown in La Manche, a Calvados Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée region of Normandy that has been pesticide-free since 2016.
Avallen is made from apples that have fallen from the tree, rather than hand-picked apples. The fruit is harvested from October, and are then washed, crushed and pressed to make a juice.
Natural fermentation then takes place in large steel vats, and results in cider, before the liquid is distilled in column stills. Made without sugar, caramel or boisé, the liquid is aged in French oak barrels for two to three years. A mixture of different sized barrels are used to retain the vanilla and honeysuckle on the nose, without an oak flavour on the palate. The liquid is finally bottled with no additives, no colours and no sugar.
The images below were taken during the production process at Distillerie Coquerel
Co-founder Tim Etherington-Judge atop a hill of harvested apples
The fruit is washed, crushed and pressed
The fruit is pressed into a juice
Fermentation takes place in large steel vats
Calvados is produced through distillation in the column still
Different sized French oak barrels
