It used to be donated to greyhound puppies, and now more and more cognac is respected. But in order not to get into a mess, you need to know what brandy to choose and how to do it. And if the drink is not intended for offering, but for home use, the choice of cognac must be approached with all responsibility.
How to choose a good cognac?
By the way, what do we put into this concept? Probably, here it is worth talking about the quality of cognac, which is provided by the manufacturer. So, this product simply can not be cheap - cognac production is a complicated and expensive business. Therefore, to choose a quality brandy, you need to pay attention to both the cost of the drink and the place of purchase - small non-specialized stores will not be able to buy real cognac. The second item on which it is necessary to pay attention is the label with the manufacturer's indication. Everyone knows that the birthplace of this drink is France, but Armenian cognac is also popular. So if the manufacturer is not from these places, then the title of this cognac is unlikely to match. Yes, and buying products of well-known manufacturers, you can protect yourself somewhat. Yes, and the authenticity can be checked - famous manufacturers usually pour brandy into original bottles, which are easy to recognize on store shelves.
An important parameter that affects the quality of cognac is its endurance. You can find out about it by reading the label. If you decide to buy French cognac, then look for the following letters on the label, which will tell you about the age of the drink.
- VS, de Luxe, Selection, Trois Etolies - for cognacs with this marking, the exposure is not less than 2 years;
- Superior - not less than 3 years of aging;
- Vieux, Reserve, VSOP, VO- this marking indicates an exposure of at least 4 years;
- Grande Reserve or VVSOP- in bottles with such letters on the label, cognac is kept for at least 5 years;
- XO, Napoleon, Extra, Tres Vieux, Royal, Vieille Reserve - cognacs with an exposure of not less than 6 years are subject to such marking.
These are the most common markings, in fact there are many more. By the way, there are no classifications for cognacs over 6.5 years old, since, according to experts, it is impossible to control the blending of such cognacs.
How to choose a real Armenian cognac?
If you are thinking about how to choose a good Armenian cognac, then it will be a little easier for you, you will not need to learn complicated combinations of Latin letters, and the variety of labels is less. To begin with we will go through the classification, as the Armenian cognac can be ordinary, vintage or collection.
Ordinary
So, when choosing an ordinary Armenian cognac, we look at the stars, it is their number that tells about the age of the drink. Five stars means that the cognac extract is at least 5 years old. The minimum period of aging of Armenian cognac is 3 years, from spirits of lower aging it is possible to make only a brandy drink.
Vintage
If we talk about vintage cognacs, then they are characterized by the following lettering:
- "KV (Cognac Aged)" means that the age of this drink is not less than 6 years;
- "KVVK (Cognac Resistant Higher Quality)", the aging of such a drink is not less than 8 years;
- "KS (Cognac Old)" - alcohol for the manufacture of such cognac was kept in barrels for at least 10 years;
- "OS (Very Old)" - this cognac has an endurance of at least 20 years.
Collective
Collectible cognacs are drinks that are kept in addition in bottles or barrels for at least 3 years.
In addition, the cognac extract, whatever you decide to choose, can be checked in yet another simple way. Turn the bottle upside down. If one heavy drop fell from the bottom of the bottle, then the cognac is aged. If the drink quickly flows down the walls, then the manufacturer is likely to be cunning about aging. Also a good cognac should behave correctly, hitting a glass. You should see a fingerprint on the glass, through the liquid, and the cognac itself must flow down the walls slowly. And this divine drink needs proper storage. The bottle should be placed vertically, so that the liquid does not come into contact with the plug.