What drinks are called cognacs. Cognac: what is it. How cognac is made

Cognac is a strong alcoholic aromatic drink, for the preparation of which cognac alcohol, distilled water and sugar syrup are mixed.

To obtain cognac spirit, mainly dry white table grape wine is used, which is subjected to distillation. The grape spirit obtained as a result of distillation with a strength of 65-70% is aged in oak barrels from 3 to 25 years. Thanks to such a long exposure, cognac spirit, which contains volatile (ethereal) substances, is enriched with tannins, acquires a light golden color and a characteristic taste and bouquet.

Depending on the quality and aging time of cognac spirits, cognacs are produced in two types: ordinary - with a period of aging of cognac spirits from 3 to 5 years and vintage - with aging from 6 to 10 years and more. The alcohol content in ordinary cognacs is 40-42%, sugar is 1.5%, and in branded ones - alcohol is 42-57% and sugar is from 0.7 to 2 , 3%.

On the labels of bottles with ordinary cognacs, there are from three to five stars, which means the number of years of aging. Vintage cognacs are assigned special names, and stars are not put on the labels.

Vintage cognacs include products of the following names: KB (aged), as well as Selected, Holiday and Vartsikhe - from spirits aged from six to seven years; KVVK (aged of the highest quality) and Dagestan - from eight to ten years; KS (old), as well as Kizlyar, Odessa, Moldova - more than 10 years; OS - very old, as well as Yeniseich, Tbilisi, Ukraine, Armenia, Nistru, Baku, Yerevan - more than 12 years old.

In the organoleptic evaluation of cognac, its color, taste, bouquet and transparency are determined.

The color of cognac is light golden or amber with a golden hue. It is necessary that the bouquet of cognac be subtle and pleasant.

Cognac should be transparent, without turbidity, sediment and impurities.

cognac drinks

cognac drinks prepared from young (unaged) cognac spirits, which are subjected to accelerated maturation at elevated temperatures in large containers, with the addition of specially treated oak shavings to the cognac spirit. A new way of maturation of cognac spirits ensures high quality of finished products. Cognac drink Yantar contains 40% alcohol and 1.5% sugar.

For the production of whiskey, alcohol is used, obtained by distilling fermented sweet wort made from grain products - rye, corn and dry barley malt. The resulting raw alcohol with a strength of 65% is diluted with distilled water to a strength of 50% and poured into new oak barrels for aging. In these barrels, alcohol is kept for 4 to 10 years at a temperature of 18-23 ° and a relative humidity of 75-80%. During this time, raw whiskey is converted into finished product, as a result of the breakdown of unpleasantly smelling and bad-tasting compounds. Esters are formed, extracted from the wood of barrels of tannins and dyes, as well as substances with a delicate aroma, which improve the organoleptic qualities of the drink.

Whiskey before being released for sale is mixed with water, sugar syrup, color, mixed, filtered and packaged in bottles.

Soviet whiskey is an alcoholic drink of light brown color, soft, slightly burning taste with a specific aroma. Whiskey contains 45% alcohol and up to 3.8% sugar.

There are the following main types of whiskey: Rye, Corn and Mixed (from corn and rye).

Rum is a strong alcoholic drink obtained from cane-sugar syrup by distillation of mash. The rum alcohol obtained by distillation is adjusted with distilled water to a strength of 50%, poured into new oak barrels and aged for five years. Aged rum, before being put on sale, is adjusted with distilled aerated water to a strength of 45%, sugar color, blackcurrant juice, ethyl acetate and ethyl butyrate are added, mixed well, filtered and poured into glassware. Ready rum has a specific taste and aroma and contains 45% alcohol and 2% sugar. Soviet rum should have a brown color with a golden hue, be transparent without turbidity and sediment, have a characteristic rum, slightly pungent taste.

Russia imports grape wines and cognacs from Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and the German Democratic Republic, and cognacs also from France.

The name of these products, as well as the content of alcohol and sugar in them, are set out in the retail price list for imported grape wines and cognacs.

From: Polyakov A.I.,

Only a drink produced in the Poitou-Charentes region of France is eligible. The technology of its production is strictly regulated by the National Interprofessional Cognac Bureau.

The taste, color and aroma of cognac depend on the grape variety, the area of origin and the period of aging of spirits. All this information can be found on the drink label.

Label

First of all, the name of the drink must be indicated on the label of French cognac:

Cognac (Cognac),
Eau-de-vie de Cognac
or Eau-de-vie des Charentes (real cognac).

In accordance with EU legislation, the container must be indicated on the bottle, as well as the legal name and address of the manufacturer, and the strength of the drink in% vol.

Of greatest interest on the label is information that allows you to classify the drink: an indication of the region of origin and the aging period.

Region of origin

The cognac production region is divided into 6 zones, called appellations:

Grande Champagne
Petite Champagne
Borderies
Fins Bois
Bons bois
Bois a Terroir or Bois Ordinaires

The unique climatic and soil features of each appellation give cognac spirits their own unique flavor and aroma.

Excerpt

Most often, cognac is obtained by mixing alcohols of different aging. The aging of the drink is determined by the aging time of the "youngest" of the spirits included in the blend.

Cognac age control is called "count", and starts with "00" and ends with "6". The countdown is from April 1, following the end of the distillation of the wine of the current harvest.

Since cognac production technology provides for its mandatory aging in oak barrels for at least two years, the first three counts are not taken into account as an age category.

2 years

The least aged cognac is labeled V.S. (Very Special) or Selection, de Luxe, Trois Etoiles, guaranteeing the aging period of spirits for at least 2 years.

3 years

The three-year-old cognac is called Superior.

4 years

Cognac aged for at least 4 years is marked V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale), V.O. (Very Old), Vieux or Reserve.

5 years

Five-year-old cognac must contain the inscription V.V.S.O.P. on the label. (Very Very Superior Old Pale) or Grande Reserve.

6 years

Marks X.O. (Extra Old), Extra, Napoleon, Royal, Tres Vieux, Vieille Reserve have cognacs, which include spirits aged for at least 6 years.

Official legislation prohibits the classification of cognac aged for more than 6.5 years, since every year changes in the taste of cognac spirit become less and less noticeable. For this reason, the actual age of cognac can be much greater than that indicated on the label.

vintage and millesime

Cognac aged 25-60 years is a matter of special pride for any cognac house. On the label of such an elite drink, instead of aging, your own name may be indicated, for example, Delamain Reserve de la Famile, Hine Family Reserve, Remi Martin Louis XIII.

For unblended cognacs made from grapes of the same crop, there is the name "vintage" or "millesim". At present, it is very rare to find such cognac, although until 1962 almost all cognac houses produced cognac of this class.

Harvest years of cognac have their own classification:

very good: 1899, 1929, 1937, 1939, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1957, 1964
good: 1878, 1887, 1893, 1896, 1898, 1924, 1928, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1967
not very good: 1938, 1944, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956
bad: 1934, 1936, 1945, 1949, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1972

Classification of cognac in Russia

Despite the fact that only a drink produced in France can be called cognac on the international market, in Russia and the countries of the former USSR, brandy produced using cognac technology is called cognac.

Region of origin

Like French, cognac originating from the countries of the former USSR differs in taste and aroma depending on the region where it was produced:

Cognac from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Dagestan and Uzbekistan it has a strong aroma with vanilla tones and high extractivity.
Georgian and Krasnodar cognacs lighter, fresher, with floral tones in the aroma.
Ukrainian and Moldovan cognacs harmonious, have a delicate aroma of vanilla and a peculiar bouquet, they are less extractive than Armenian cognacs.

It is possible to judge the quality of cognac only on the basis of its class and type; it is wrong to compare cognacs of different categories.

Our catalog will help you navigate the variety of alcohol from France and neighboring countries. Any cognac you like can be bought in bulk at an attractive price.

He is often referred to as the king of spirits. And no wonder. How else can you call a drink that is several hundred years old, corked in a bottle encrusted with gold and diamonds, worth $ 2 million?! Only a real king deserves this. And we are talking about cognac. Fortunately, you can find copies in stores much cheaper than the Henri IV Dudognon listed in the Guinness Book of Records. So many will be able to enjoy the unique taste and aroma of this drink. Of course, if you follow the rules for the use of cognac.

Cognac is one of the most famous brandy-type alcoholic beverages, it is made from white grapes with an alcohol content of 40 to 45%.

This drink in all ages was perceived as a synonym for "luxury". The history of its origin is inextricably linked with a small town in the west of France - Cognac. At the beginning of the 17th century, a local farmer discovered, apparently by accident, that distilled wine turns into a drink with a stronger and nobler taste. Shortly thereafter, the first distillery appeared in the Cognac district, followed by the following. Many of them are still working today, using the same centuries-old technologies for the production of a drink that the French called "water of life".

What is cognac

By the way, it is this region that legally has the exclusive right to use the name “cognac”. However, this is a common practice for the French. At least remember champagne and the province of Champagne. But, as is the case with sparkling wine, in other parts of the world brandy producers also sometimes write "cognac" on their bottles. However, experienced sommeliers will immediately “bite through” a fake.

This cognac is made from white grapes grown in the provinces of Charente (Charente) and Maritime Charente (Charente Maritime). As a rule, the Ugni Blanc variety is used. Berries for the real "water of life" are harvested by hand. Grape alcohol is made from them in the fall. Young wine is fermented until the end of March without adding sugar, and then double distilled. Hence the other name for cognac - "burnt wine". To create 1 liter of a golden drink, approximately 10 liters of raw wine are used. By the way, French law even defines the exact timing of distillation: the beginning - in November, the end - on March 31, since non-compliance with these deadlines affects the quality of the drink. This is how real cognac is born.

The second important stage in production is aging, which sometimes lasts for decades, sometimes for centuries. The drink is aged, as it was many centuries ago, in oak barrels made from the wood of local forests. Oak barrel is the most important factor influencing the taste, color and healing power of brandy. Their production is taken very seriously. And first of all carefully choose wood. It should be old (usually not less than 100 years old) and dry oak. Ideally, it should grow in a dry, sunny place, then during the aging of cognac, the barrel will give the drink a delicate aroma and exceptional taste. Oak wood, taken from a swampy area, will “reward” the drink with a sour-bitter taste. And before becoming a barrel, the prepared tree still has to dry for several years. But such high requirements for a tree also determine its price. A cube of wood for cognac barrels could cost 15,000 francs. All this together gives the drink that bewitching taste for which collectors are willing to pay millions.

Meanwhile, the magic of creating skates has another component. And it's a family tradition. The quality of cognac directly depends on the experience of winegrowers. There is a special person in the process of making this divine drink. The French call it maitre de chai or "cognac master". As a rule, this function, along with all professional secrets, passes from father to son over the centuries and cannot be performed by a woman. In the famous Hennessy family, the powers of maitre de chai have been passed between family members for 200 years, and this is already 8 generations. And in this they are unique - this is the oldest cognac dynasty.

And one more secret of real cognac. For long-term aging, the drink is transported to the Grande Reserve cellars on the banks of the Charente River or in the mountains.

What does the price depend on

The cost of brandy depends, as a rule, on the quality of the spirits used and the aging time of the drink. And of course, the “water of life” from well-known brands will cost more. But eminent manufacturers are again the highest quality.

Experience has taught winemakers that the main rule of excellent cognac is blending (mixing distillates). Even the highest quality distillate is not cognac. A real drink, so to speak, is collected drop by drop from many different spirits, the youngest of which should not be less than 3-4.5 years old.

The age and type of the drink are indicated not only by the stars on the bottle (the fewer of them, the younger the drink). On the oldest ones, with exquisite taste and aroma, there are no stars at all. For these, special marks are used:

VS (Very Special) - as a rule, cheaper cognacs, the label indicates that the drink has been aged in barrels for at least 2 years;
VSOP (Very Special Old Pale) - the youngest spirit included in cognac, aged for at least 4 years;
XO (Extra Old), aka Napoleon - cognac with a minimum exposure of 6 years, but the average age of XO cognacs can even reach 20 years;
Vintage - this inscription indicates that we are dealing with cognac older than 6 years, this is a vintage drink and the label indicates the year of production of the youngest wine included in the bouquet;
Hors d'Age - indicates that the distillate is so old that it is impossible to determine its age.

By the way, experienced tasters determine the age of brandy by taste. Juveniles have a strong smell and taste. The drink "aged" is characterized by "warmth, calmness and pride."

How to use

It is considered bad manners to dilute expensive vintage wines with other drinks. This rule also applies to cognacs. According to the rules, brandy can be consumed after lunch or dinner from a tulip-shaped glass (pouring about a third of the glass). Before enjoying the drink, sommeliers are advised to slightly warm the glass in their hands (ideally, the temperature of the drink should be around 20 degrees). This will allow the brandy to open up, and the taster to feel the aroma of violet, vanilla, blueberry, honey, as well as oak grown on the banks of the Charente River in the mild climate of the land of Cognac.

Although some connoisseurs of alcohol believe that brandy does not need such "tenderness". But, as they say, this is all for an amateur ... An amateur and advice from the Spaniards: before taking a sip of cognac, put a few raisins or coffee beans in your mouth. And some like to drink cognac with water, tonic, ginger ale or cola. But for such cocktails, only young cognacs are used.

As for food, cream cheeses, such as Roquefort, or smoked salmon, are perfect for cognac. But it’s better to forget about the lemon, which we like to eat brandy with. The French are generally horrified by this combination. They made the most correct combination of four Cs: café, cognac, cigare, chocolate. Moreover, it is in this sequence that the products are consumed.

How to taste right

Vintage cognacs are tasted in several stages. The first is by eye. To do this, it is important to carefully look at the walls of the glass. The drink flows down the walls in smooth viscous traces - this indicates the complexity of cognac. It falls off in large watery drops - it means that caramel is present (it is added for a beautiful color).

The second stage is the smell. To do this, winemakers are advised to put the glass to the chin and easily inhale the aroma from the glass. Floral-fruity aroma, as a rule, is a sign of young cognacs, a deeper one indicates an aged drink. Often there is a vanilla note in cognacs, but it should not dominate, cinnamon and walnut flavors are also caught.

The third stage of tasting is the study of taste. To do this, sommeliers take a little drink into their mouth and distribute it along the tongue so that the drink touches the main taste buds (the tip of the tongue is sweet, the back is bitter, and the sides are salty and sour). A good cognac should maintain a balance of flavors. The presence of caramel is also easy to taste: the tip of the tongue will quickly feel the sweetness, but it will disappear just as quickly.

How to store brandy

After opening the bottle, of course, it is not necessary to drink everything at once. Cognac is the drink that can be "left for later." But for a better preservation of taste and aroma, experts advise either storing the bottle in a dark place, or pouring it into a darker glass container. And of course, do not forget to seal tightly.

Store a bottle of cognac vertically, and the crust should not come into contact with the drink.

Medicinal properties

Cognac is an alcoholic drink and in large doses cannot be useful. Nevertheless, the consumption of good (and this is an important point!) brandy, moreover, in small portions (no more than 30 g per day), can have a positive effect on well-being.

Medicinal properties of cognac people have noticed for a long time. Europeans drank a little cognac with dizziness and shortness of breath. They used this drink as a healing potion, which combined the power of the sun, air and traditions of the French land.

Small doses of cognac can increase blood pressure, thereby relieving dizziness and weakness.

Due to the presence of biologically active substances in the drink, cognac activates the stomach, improves appetite, and also activates the functioning of the entire digestive tract.

For the prevention of colds, it is recommended to use 1 teaspoon of the drink. And in combination with ginger tea, it can be taken as a medicine in the early stages of a cold. By the way, in 1918, when the Spanish flu was raging, people in Germany were saved by ... cognac. More precisely, a tincture of garlic and cognac, which they drank a few drops daily. And Dr. Joseph Beck went down in history thanks to the fact that during the Second World War in France he stopped the flu epidemic with the help of Hennessy. When the medicines were already running out, the doctor began to give the sick a drink, known to us as eggnog - a mixture of milk, butter, raw yolk, honey and cognac. When other ingredients were not available, the doctor gave the sick cognac with hot milk diluted with water. After that, according to historians, the death toll from the disease decreased by 27 percent, and the duration of the disease did not exceed 5 weeks.

With sore throat for disinfection, you can rinse your throat with a drink diluted with water. There is another remedy for the disease. Boil 80 g of cumin in a glass of water (cook for about 15 minutes, you should get a thick mass). Strain, add 50 ml of water and boil again. Cool and add a tablespoon of cognac. Take a spoonful of the mixture every half hour. As a rule, the disease disappears after 8 hours.

As an expectorant, warm milk will help, to which a little brandy should be added.

A little cognac before going to bed will relieve nervous tension, relieve insomnia, relax, calm and ensure a healthy restful sleep.

Due to the warming effect, salt and cognac compresses help with sprains, bruises and rheumatism.

In cosmetology, brandy is used to treat acne. To do this, mix boron, glycerin, cognac and a little water. Cognac is also an excellent tool for skin whitening (for this, add to a mixture of face masks) and strengthen hair.

Other benefits of cognac:

is an excellent source of polyphenols (found in grapes);
increases the level of antioxidants in the body (due to oak barrels, from which it receives ellagic acid);
improves eyesight;
reduces the risk of cancer;
has a beneficial effect on blood vessels and the heart (if you drink 15 ml of good cognac every day);
reduces the risk of blood clots;
prevents the development of type 2 diabetes;
serves as a prophylaxis against gallstone disease.

Cognac for hair beauty

Grapes are one of the most popular hair care products because they add volume, shine and color retention. Alcohol is an excellent antiseptic, improves blood circulation. When these two components are combined, a delicious hair product is obtained. And cognac (or brandy) is great for making a cosmetic mask at home. Regular use of brandy-based products improves hair color, accelerates hair growth, repairs damage and treats dandruff.

To enhance the effectiveness of masks, it is important to follow a few rules:

You won’t need much drink for the mask, so it’s better to take some expensive cognac - don’t skimp on beauty.
All ingredients to be mixed must be at room temperature.
It is important to apply the mask on dry, unwashed hair.
To enhance the effect, after applying the components, warm your head with a towel.
Before use, carry out an allergy test: apply to the skin behind the ear and wait 5-10 minutes, if there is no itching, then you can use it.
Keep the mask for 20-40 minutes.
Rinse with warm water, then rinse your hair with a decoction of herbs.
The course of treatment is 14-15 procedures.

Mask options:

Nutrient: beaten egg, 1 tbsp. l. cognac, 1 tsp lemon juice, dry milk.
For oily hair: mash the peach in puree, add cognac (for 3 tbsp puree 1 tsp brandy).
For dry hair: 3 tbsp. l. blue clay, 1 tbsp. l. chopped strawberries, 2 tbsp. l. Hercules, brandy (how much you need for gruel).
Moisturizing: beaten raw egg, chopped cucumbers, a tablespoon of lemon juice and cognac.

Other uses

Although cognac is mainly used as a drink, in cooking it is also used to make sauces, marinades, fruit preserves, and chocolate. But for such purposes, of course, it is better to take cheaper brands of brandy.

Side effects

Side effects from cognac are much less than advantages. But they are very serious. Abuse of cognac, like any other alcoholic beverage, leads to alcoholism.

It is not advisable to use this drink for people suffering from hypotension, hypertension, diabetes, cholelithiasis, hepatitis. In addition, cognac contains quite a lot of kilocalories, so it is not recommended for overweight people.

The Charente region was not the first to become famous thanks to cognacs. The first fame she brought ... salt, which was mined from the local river. In those days, this spice was almost worth its weight in gold. So merchants and sailors from various regions came to Charente for goods. It was they who became interested in wine from the Cognac region. However, the drinks produced at that time were of rather poor quality, contained little alcohol, were acidic and were by no means suitable for transportation by sea. In the 16th century, merchants thought of distilling wine. The resulting distillate was called “burnt wine” (brandevijin) by the Dutch. The British shortened the name to "brandy". The new drink quickly gained popularity. But it is worth saying that he was still very far from modern cognacs. Only after repeated distillation did the drink turn out to be more familiar to modern connoisseurs of alcohol. It is believed that the first person to think of double distillation was the Chevalier De la Croix-Maron.

And in the XVIII century, two people whose names would later become synonymous with cognac, each individually built the first successful distilleries for the production of brandy. The first is the French smuggler Jean Martel, who arrived in Cognac and built a distillery on the banks of the Charente. The second is the Irishman James Hennessy, who served in the French Navy. The latter also built a Hennessy Connelly and Company store in Cognac, which the very next year received an order to supply serious batches of the drink to the American colonies.

Older people will probably remember the satirical scene where the Soviet actor Yevgeny Leonov talks about the benefits of alcohol. So, his hero said: “Cognac is always useful! But dear. But that's why it's expensive, because it's very useful! But the hero of Leonov was right. Although it is important to add one more recommendation to these words, perhaps the most important one: cognac is useful only in small doses.

Initially, the drink, called Cogniac, began to be produced in France. It was made from wine moonshine aged in oak barrels. There was so much wine that the winemakers did not have time to sell it. Therefore, they began distilling wine to sell it as a new alcohol. The drink turned out to be so good and enjoyed such wild popularity all over the world that winemakers came up with and patented the name of the drink. Since then, no one can call the produced drink Cogniac, as it was in the original. Even if the resulting alcohol is aged for at least a hundred years in oak barrels and its recipe approaches the original. The only ones left with this right are the inhabitants of the pioneering province.

Cognac

The appearance of a drink called Cognac (by the way, this was the name of the city in whose honor the hero of our article was named) or “Cognac” has several stories, each of which has the right to exist. Unfortunately, now it is impossible to reliably determine which of them is more truthful, since the world is divided into two camps, each of which defends its own version. By the way, Wikipedia also agrees with this, which casts doubt on the information indicated on the page dedicated to this drink. By the way, there you can find a description of cognac of any brand.

The first story says that at the World Exhibition of 1900, Nikolai Shustov exhibited his drink, made using the same technology as Cogniac. He turned out to be so good that winemakers from France allowed him to call the resulting drink Cognac. Since then, factories in Yerevan and Odessa, owned by Shustov, began to produce Cognac.

The second story claims that Shustov is just a simple performer. In fact, while visiting French comrades, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin first tried Cogniac and brought the drink to our winemakers. He liked the drink so much that he negotiated permission to produce a drink called Cognac. Since then, it has become customary that we produce exactly cognac.

Brandy

Brandy refers to everything that is not produced in the province of Cognac. In fact, this is the same drink, but due to the patenting of the name, not a single brandy can be named after an older brother. Even if the recipe was followed in full, and even more so if it is a variation of the original. This sort of cognac stands apart in the political sense, but is a complete analogue of the French drink.

As for the recipe, everything is not so simple either: if Cogniac is produced according to a strictly defined technology and deviation from it is considered a violation, then everything is much simpler. Brandy producers can make it from wine spirit, obtained from any grape variety. The main condition that brandy producers observe is the rich taste of alcohol and the final product.

In terms of taste, in fairness, it is worth noting that good brandy is in no way inferior to Cogniac. And due to the fact that the whole world produces brandy, with the exception of France and the countries that are part of the ever-memorable Soviet Union, there are much more types of them. And there are many worthy representatives here.

By the way, one more point should be noted regarding the numerous disputes around these two drinks. Some "experts" will stand by their opinion to the end that brandy and Cogniac are completely different drinks. In fact, if you look, it's one and the same. The production technology is absolutely the same: the wine goes through a distillation process, after which it is aged in oak barrels. It is possible to add some flavoring seasonings, but these are already conventions. The only thing that separates them is the names: "Cogniac" and "Brandy".

Armagnac

Armagnac is another subject of constant delusions and controversy. Some say it is Armenian cognac; others believe that this is a treat made from special varieties of grapes; others argue that Armagnac is the same cognac, but produced using a completely different technology.

In fact, Armagnac differs from the hero of the article in a number of ways:

The recipe has been known for 300 years. This cannot be said about his younger brother, he is much younger.
The wine is distilled only once. For cognac, it is distilled several times.
Exposure Armagnac varies in the redistribution of 3-20 years. If you are offered an Armagnac that has stood in a barrel for 1.5 years, then you should not even consider buying this drink.
For Armagnac, only 10 grape varieties are used, which are not found in cognac recipes.
Armagnac can only be produced in three regions of France: Haut Armagnac, Bas Armagnac, er Tenareze.
Barrels are used only 1 time. For the next portion of Armagnac, another barrel is used. You don't bother with cognac.
Armagnac is produced in very small quantities. The French keep all the best for themselves, so this drink is very well worth it!

Armenian cognac

Armenian cognac has been produced for a very long time. And all over the world it is known under this name. In fact, it is called "Cognac" and always in Cyrillic (Russian letters). But everywhere it is distinguished by the prefix "Armenian". It's all about the vast experience of Armenian winemakers and their famous vineyards. It was always the Armenian cognac that was valued by the heads of any state above competitors. The history of Armenian brandy is rooted in the depths of time and now it is not possible to find the end.

Subtotals

So, from the foregoing, we can conclude that a drink produced according to the same recipe is called differently depending on the place where the cognac originates:

“Armenian cognac” is a drink produced in Armenia.
"Cognac" - a drink made in the post-Soviet space.
"Cognac" can be called a drink made at the factories of the Shustov trademark.
"Cogniac" is the progenitor of the name. Made only in France, in the province that owns the city of Cognac.
Armagnac is made only in the French provinces of Haut Armagnac, Bas Armagnac, er Tenareze.
Brandy is the same cognac, but produced in the rest of the world.

Exposure, stars and letters

The classification of French cognac is different from ours. They have Latin letters, we have asterisks. This is the same indicator that reflects the exposure time.

Our cognacs are marked with stars. 1 year = 1 star. Cognacs are divided into 3 classes according to the number of stars. Here are the types of cognac:

ordinary (3-5 years);
vintage (6-8 years);
elite (8-10 years).

For foreigners, gradations are marked by means of letters. These are abbreviations for:

3 stars or VS (Very Special). From 2 years of aging in barrels;
VSOP (Very Special Old Pale). From 4 years of exposure;
XO (Extra Old). From 6 years old.

In addition, the place of its origin is also important for French cognacs. They also differ and are appreciated by connoisseurs. Below are the places by the quality of the drink:

Grand Champagne.
Petite Champagne.
Borderies.
Fins Boys.
Bons Boys.

These data are also written on the label - these are different categories of drinks. Therefore, if you manage to buy a French drink, then you should look for the name of the province written on the label (this is an important characteristic).

Conclusion

So we told everything about cognac. Now you know that the drink that we used to call cognac can be found all over the world. But here it will be called differently. No need to be afraid if you are asked to bring brandy abroad, you will receive a glass of cognac.

You also need to understand that if you want to try the really best, then you should pay attention to Armagnac, Armenian cognac with an exposure of 10 years or more (10 stars) or French Cogniac from the above provinces marked "XO".

Cognac- a strong alcoholic drink made from alcohol obtained by distillation of table wines, followed by aging in oak barrels. It has a pleasant aroma and characteristic taste. With aging, the taste of alcohol improves, softness appears in it and a pleasant delicate bouquet with vanilla tones develops. It takes 15-20 years to reach full maturity of cognac spirit.

Cognac classification.

Distinguish cognacs ordinary (obtained from cognac spirit 2 grades) and vintage (1 grade of long-term exposure).

TO ordinary include cognacs with three, four and five stars on the bottle, indicating the age of the cognac spirit from which the cognac is made.

So cognac *** prepared from cognac spirits aged for at least 3 years, cognac strength - 40 vol.%, sugar content - 1.5%;

Cognac **** - aged for at least 4 years, 40% vol.; 1.5% respectively;

Cognac ***** - not less than 5 years, 42 vol.%; 1.5% respectively.

TO vintage include cognacs of the KV, KVVK and KS groups.

Aged cognac KV is prepared from cognac spirits aged 6-7 years, they have a strength of 42 vol.% and contain 1.2% sugar;

Aged cognac of the highest quality- from aged 8-10 years, 43-45 vol.% and 0.7-3.0%, respectively;

Cognac old prepared from selected cognac spirits aged over 10 years, 45, 50, 57 vol.% and 0.7%, respectively.

Drinks made from unaged cognac spirit are called cognac drinks.

Obtaining cognac raw alcohol..

With a simple distillation of wine materials containing 8-10 vol.% alcohol, raw cognac alcohol is obtained with a strength of 20-35 vol.% and cognac stillage. In addition, at the end of the distillation, a fraction of fragrant waters is released. Distillation takes 6-8 hours. Cognac raw alcohol is obtained from 25 to 35% of the volume of wine taken for distillation.

Raw alcohol with a strength of 20-35 vol.%, obtained during the distillation of cognac wine materials, is pumped by a centrifugal pump into the collection, and the bard is for disposal.

Then raw cognac alcohol from the collection is sent for secondary distillation, during which the following are selected:

head(selected separately and sent for rectification),

average brandy alcohol (grade 1 has a strength of 62-70 vol.%, its yield is 30-35% of the volume of loaded raw alcohol),

end strap(they are distilled again with separation also into 3 fractions, the middle of which is called cognac spirit of grade 11, it is obtained in the amount of 20-25% of the distilled liquid, it is sent for aging for ordinary cognacs, and the head and end cuts are for rectification).

The difference in the production of ethyl and cognac alcohol lies in the fact that when obtaining rectified alcohol, they strive to completely purify it from volatile impurities. When obtaining cognac spirits, on the contrary, measures are taken to preserve in them the components of the end straps - esters and acids, since during aging they contribute to the development of their special, characteristic aroma and taste of cognac.

Extract of cognac spirits. After sorting, parsing and equalizing cognac spirits are sent first for short-term excerpts into new oak barrels, and then for many years of aging (aging) in old oak barrels, which are installed in rows or tiers according to the years of distillation in rooms with a temperature of 15-20 ° C and a relative humidity of 75-85%.

Alcohols that are intended for the production of vintage cognacs are subjected to two equalizations during aging: the first - when set for aging and the second - after 5 years of aging.

The aging period of cognac spirits is calculated according to the year of distillation.

Exposure is continued until the strength of cognac alcohol is reduced to 50 vol.%. After that, the alcohol is poured into bottles and stored in them until blending.

Cognac preparation.

The strength of aged cognac spirits is always higher than the strength of manufactured cognacs (40-45 vol.%) To lower the strength, spirits are diluted with pre-prepared special alcoholized waters. It is impossible to dilute cognac spirits with water, as they lose their achieved aroma and taste.

Alcoholic waters are prepared by diluting cognac spirit with distilled or softened tap water.

To soften the taste and give cognacs a little sweetness, sugar syrup is added, diluted with cognac alcohol aged for at least 5 years with the expectation of bringing its strength to 30-35% by volume, it is stored in oak barrels for at least a year before use. After aging, the syrup is clarified.

The cognac obtained by blending cognac spirit, alcoholized waters and sugar syrup is aged in bottles or tanks for up to 6 months to assimilate alcohol and other components. During this period, to clarify and improve the taste, it is subjected to processing: gluing, processing with yellow blood salt, cooling to minus 10 ° C and holding up to 10 days in a refrigerator (at minus 15 - minus 20 ° C - up to 5 days) and filtering.

Aged and processed cognac is transferred in barrels to the expedition, or bottled in special bottles on dosing machines, the bottles are labeled.

Preparation of cognac drinks. To make cognac drinks, young cognac spirit or ready-made blend is infused or passed in a stream through oak wood, previously processed in a special way. The blend mixture is prepared from young cognac spirit, distilled or softened water. The preparation of the drink is reduced to the extraction of wood components with a blended mixture. Extraction is carried out at 20-25 °C for 15-20 days. Further processing of the drink consists of clarification by filtration.

Calvados production

Calvados is a strong alcoholic drink with a specific aroma and taste, made from apple spirit obtained by distillation of fermented natural apple juice and aged in oak barrels or oak staves.

Depending on the quality and aging time of alcohol, Calvados are produced in two types: ordinary(from alcohol aged for at least 3 years) and vintage(not less than 5 years), fortress 42, vintage - 45 vol.%.

Main stages of production:

making apple juice (apples are used in autumn-winter varieties with a sugar content of at least 7% and an acidity of 5-7 g / l., they are sorted, washed, crushed with chips of 2-3 mm, pressed; the juice is filtered);

must fermentation (fermented with cultural yeasts of the Yablochnaya-17 or Yakubovsky races in oak buts or enameled tanks at 20-25 ° C, clarified);

distillation of apple mash (just like cognac spirits, the head fraction is sent for rectification, the middle fraction is sent for raw Calvados alcohol, and the final fraction is added to the raw and re-distilled; the strength of apple spirit is 62-70 vol.%),

extract of apple alcohol (freshly distilled apple spirits are sorted by quality, aged, egalized and, for aging for at least 3 years, poured into oak barrels filled with oak chips; stored at 15-25 ° C and humidity 75-85%; during the aging period, oxygen is introduced into the alcohol,

blending and blending processing (Calvados is prepared by blending aged apple spirit, sugar syrup, citric acid, softened water and sugar color.

The mixture is stirred, heated to 50 °C and incubated for 2 days. Then the blend is cooled, pasted over with gelatin for clarification, filtered and sent to rest for 3 to 5 months. Ready Calvados is bottled.

Rum production.

Rum is a strong alcoholic drink with a pleasant aroma, made from rum alcohol obtained from sugar cane or cane molasses and containing such specific components as esters of acetic, butyric, valeric, caproic, heptyl and other acids, as well as rum oil. As a drink, it is rarely consumed in its pure form, in most cases rum is used to make grogs, liqueurs, cocktails and punches, as well as in the production of ice cream and confectionery.

Distinguish natural rum (obtained by diluting rum alcohol with water to a certain strength), rum blends (made from a mixture of ethyl alcohol and rum) and artificial rum (an alcoholic drink to which various esters or other substances are added to give taste. The main raw material for the production of rum is molasses from sugar cane factories, containing 45-60% fermentable sugar.

Rum production technology includes the following operations:

must preparation; must fermentation (pure cultures of yeast are carried out for 4 days at 25-27 ° C and pH 5.5-5.8 in closed fermenters with cooling coils; butyric acid bacteria are added in the production of Jamaican rum);

distillation of rum (mature rum mash is separated with a strength of 6-7% and a sugar content of 12-14% to separate yeast, during distillation, the head and end fractions are accumulated, diluted with water to 20 vol.% and distilled again, the middle fraction is added to rum alcohol. Alcohol has a strength about 60 vol.%, it is kept for maturation in oak barrels;

aging and maturation of rum (barrels with rum are stored at 20-30 ° C and a humidity of 75-80% for 4 to 5 years. Aged rum is drained from the barrels, diluted with distilled aerated water to a strength of 45 vol.%, tinted with color, filtered and bottled.

whiskey production

Whiskey - an aromatic alcoholic drink with a strength of 40-45 vol.%, obtained by distillation of fermented wort from grain raw materials, followed by a long exposure of raw alcohol in oak barrels, charred inside. The main raw materials for making whiskey are rye, corn, barley (barley is used in the form of malt). Accordingly, whiskey is distinguished: rye, corn and mixed.

The main stages of the technological process : Wort preparation- preparation and heat treatment of the batch, saccharification and cooling of boiled molasses, to enrich the wort with organic acids and other substances that enhance the aroma of raw alcohol, the wort is diluted with chilled stillage to a solids content of 11-13 wt.% and fermented with yeast of race X or M.

Wort fermentation spend at 30 ° C in hermetically sealed fermenters with coils for 72 hours until the strength of the brew is 7.5-8 vol.%.

Distillation of mature mash carried out on a continuous apparatus, alcohol is taken with a strength of 65-70 vol.%.

Exposure (aging). Raw alcohol is diluted with distilled water to a strength of 50 vol.%, bottled for aging in oak barrels with a capacity of up to 200 liters and kept for at least 4 years at 18-23 ° C and humidity 75-80%. Before being released for sale, whiskey is blended, while whiskey of different aging periods is mixed with an aqueous solution of rectified alcohol of the highest degree of purification and adjusted with distilled water to a strength of 45 vol.%.

To improve the quality of whiskey, it is allowed to add sugar, wines, juices, extracts to the blend. After a daily aging of the blend, the whiskey is filtered and bottled in b

What drinks are called cognacs. Cognac: what is it. How cognac is made

cognac drinks

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Excerpt

2 years

3 years

4 years

5 years

6 years

vintage and millesime

Classification of cognac in Russia

Categories

Region of origin

What is cognac

What does the price depend on

How to use

How to taste right

How to store brandy

Medicinal properties

Cognac for hair beauty

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Cognac

Brandy

Armagnac

Armenian cognac

Subtotals

Exposure, stars and letters

Conclusion