We love pear brandy here at Different Spirits. Adore it. That Clear Creek 69% monster from a few months ago ([ Ссылка ] ) is one of my favorite bottlings of the year just for a start. The thing to watch out for is that when it goes into a cask, things get... well, interesting. And often awkward (cf several of the offerings at [ Ссылка ] ). To the point that most of the places producing pear-driven brandies in the world don't really have much of a tradition of oaking the stuff... with one major exception.

I've nerded out about Domfrontais before, while reviewing some old Lemortons that were, well, not that great ([ Ссылка ] ). Domfrontais is the region of Calvados production which doesn't just allow, but actually *requires*, a significant proportion of pear in the wash. It still doesn't need to be 100%, or even in the majority... but that doesn't mean producers can't do it if they want.

Enter the Pacory family, small cider and brandy producers who are totally pear crazy. Their Calvas go way above and beyond the basic legal requirements of the Domfrontais region, typically using something like 70% pear (the rest apple) if not more. K&L in California and their customers seem to have an exclusive on them - you lucky bastards - but I did manage to get ahold of some samples. Here we go:

- Domaine Pacory 8 Year Old "High Proof" Domfrontais Cask Strength Calvados (Mantilly; K&L Exclusive, 100% pear, bottled circa 2021; 49% ABV), 87+/100
- Domaine Pacory 12 Year Old Domfrontais Calvados (Mantilly; K&L Exclusive, 70% pear/30% apple from the 2009 vintage, bottled circa 2021; 42% ABV), 85/100
- Domaine Pacory 16 Year Old Domfrontais Calvados (Mantilly; K&L Exclusive, 70% pear/30% apple, bottled circa 2021; 41% ABV), 85+/100
- Domaine Pacory 30 Year Old Domfrontais Calvados (Mantilly; K&L Exclusive, 70% pear/30% apple from the 1984 vintage; 41% ABV), 85/100

The 30, it has to be said, does get a hair bit awkward on the finish, but water fixes it, and the others walk that tension between the pear and the oak beautifully. The 12 and 16 both present a near-baijiu like complexity on the finish, with the 16 being a bit more polished. But my favorite by a lot is the big brash 8, which starts out really good and gets even better when it's swimming. And at under fifty bucks (still on sale, as I write this), it's one of the best QPRs in aged spirits that I've had this year. More like this, please.

Extra special thanks to my Different Spirits on Patreon ([ Ссылка ]) -

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