Ampersand Malus Review

Ampersand Malus
Rye Whiskey & Calvados Blend
92 Proof
SRP: $59.99
Review

Please enjoy our Ampersand Malus Review!

A blend of American rye whiskey and Calvados – an apple brandy distinct to Normandy, France

Ampersand Malus is a unique blend of American rye whiskey and French Calvados apple brandy, created under the direction of master blender Chip Tate (Foley Family Wines & Spirits’ Master Distiller for Innovation). Bottled at 92 proof, this small-batch release combines two distinct spirits into a single expression that leans heavily into apple-forward flavors while still maintaining a rye whiskey backbone.

With an almost even split of 51% rye whiskey and 49% Calvados, Malus represents a departure from traditional finished whiskeys, being an actual blend. Both components are aged more than eight years before being blended and bottled in Nevada, resulting in a spirit that highlights fruit, spice and oak in equal measure.

Details – Ampersand Malus Review

• Blend: 51% American Rye Whiskey, 49% Calvados
• Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
• Price: $59.99 SRP
• Age: Both components aged 8+ years
• Rye Mash Bill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley
• Calvados Composition: 95% apples, 5% pears
• Barrels: Rye aged in new charred American oak; Calvados aged in French oak
• Filtering: Non-chill filtered
• Blending Location: Minden Mill Distillery, Nevada
• Availability: Initial run of 6,000 bottles (November 2025)
• Master Blender: Chip Tate

Tasting Notes – Ampersand Malus Review

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested: 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻 Nose: Simple syrup sweetness with sweet apples, tangerines and caramel; subtle rye spices, like cloves, plus a hint of anise; alcohol vapor is appropriate for the proof
👉🏻 Taste: Mildly sweet, with sweet apples, sweet caramel, tangerines and fairly mild rye spices; hints of dry oak and char become more evident on subsequent sips
👉🏻 Finish: Lingering but fading sweetness and fruits at first; the mouthfeel gradually becomes drier and spicier; white pepper turns to black pepper spice; increasingly evident dry wood and mild char later on. Fairly long with lingering mild rye spices, mild sweetness, dry wood, char and hints of anise and citrus remaining on my tongue for quite a while.

Sweet Apples Are The Name of the Game

The name of the game here is sweet apples, compliments of the healthy dose of Calvados in this unique blend. Even thought Malus contains a slightly greater proportion of rye, it is the Calvados flavors that take center stage. Nonetheless, as time goes on, I realize that the rye whiskey’s flavors were simply hiding in plain sight. They become more and more evident the longer I nose my glass, and with each sip. Even so, they remain complimentary to the dominant Calvados flavors.

Summary

As a long time Calvados fan, it is no surprise that I gravitated to the Ampersand Malus for my first pours of the series. To be honest, I was unsure of what to expect, although my inclination was that the rye would add a pleasant spice to the apple sweetness of the Calvados. Indeed, this artfully crafted blend culminates in the perfect proportion of complimentary rye spices to Calvados apple sweetness. I have not had the opportunity to taste the components separately, but I would venture that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, as they say.

Conclusion

If you are willing to step outside the box of finished whiskeys and welcome a blend of two different spirits, I think you will be very pleasantly surprised by Ampersand Malus. Have you tried it, or any spirits from the Ampersand series? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

We hope you have enjoyed our Ampersand Malus Review! To learn about another whiskey in this line up, read my Ampersand Opimus Review. Also, why not read about some of the excellent whiskeys from Minden Mill: Minden Mill American Single Malt Whiskey Review, Minden Mill Rye Whiskey Review and Minden Mill Nevada Straight Bourbon Review or these Calvados finished whiskeys: Bardstown Bourbon Company Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish Bourbon Review and Sagamore Spirit Calvados Finish Rye Review and about another new whiskey from Chip Tate in our Gambit No. 6 Review.

Note: This sample was graciously provided by the Brand for my review. I appreciate it!

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