Review: Double Zero Cyril Zangs
Double Zero Cyril Zangs Cider Eau De Vie - 50%
From Astor: A collaboration between cider producer Cyril Zangs and calvados producer Jean Roger Groult. The cider is made from over 30 varieties of apples including bitter & bitter-sweet (70%), sweet (20%), and sour (10%) and cellared for several months after ripening to concentrate the sugars. Then they are gently pressed, slowly fermented, racked once and left to age on the lees for 10 months before distillation. Jean Roger distills on his family's artisanal 12 hectoliter direct wood fired pot still. The spirit is then bottled at 100 proof with zero additives and zero filtration.
Notes: The nose is intense - funky apples, farmhouse cider, kalamata olives, cinnamon. Great weight which is fortunate cuz by mid-palate this starts punching over its 50% with some real structural fireworks. Notes mostly translate from the nose to the palate. Entry is thick and hot. The ABV loses its grip occasionally (repeatedly) from mid-palate into the finish.
Couple drops of water really rounds this one out, softening the structure, bringing apples and baking spices to the foreground while slipping the olives into the background.
Score: 6 (Solid) Structure and complexity are some of the most interesting I've run across with eau de vie. I'm definitely enjoying it more in warmer weather and with some dilution than I did through the fall and winter neat/no dilution.
Rating System
10 - Reevaluate The Budget
9 - Stash Two (If Able)
8 - Stash One (At The Right Price)
7 - Highly Recommend It To Strangers
6 - Solid - Above Average
5 - Acceptable For The Situation
4 - Not Vocally Complaining
3 - Anything Else To Drink?
2 - Nothing Nice To Say
1 - Drain Pour