For me, there were 2 discoveries there: firstly, it is now fashionable to drink cognac with a diluted tonic, and, secondly, the usual pot-bellied cognac glasses are a thing of the past ...
To realize how close everything is in Cognac to each other, I am posting this photo. It was taken from the balcony of the Valois castle, in which the Otard cognac house is located, and just behind the Hennessy is the Martel building:
A drink called Cognac can only be produced in the region of the same name, which is divided into 6 regions. The grapes grown in each of them differ in properties and taste.
The cognac that we buy in the store usually consists of several types of cognac of different aging and from different areas. The coolest areas are Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne and Borderies. The word Champagne (Champagne) means limestone and is not related to the Champagne region, which produces French champagne:
In one of the cognac houses in the museum, there are soil samples from some regions. They differ even visually. For example, cognac made from grapes harvested in Grande Champagne has a light, delicate aroma with dominant floral tones:
The soils of the Borderies contain a high percentage of clay and silicon. From local vines they produce beautiful round and soft cognacs with pronounced tones of violets:
The main white grape variety from which cognac is produced is uni blanc, a slow-ripening variety with high acidity, high yield and disease resistance:
Pressing begins immediately after harvest grape juice. The juice is very sweet.
The process of distillation of wine takes place in the traditional "Charentes alembic", consisting of heated on open fire extraction boiler (on the right), an onion-shaped boiler hood and a tube bent in the form of a “swan neck”, which is further transformed into a coil passing through the cooler:
Wine is heated in a cauldron. Ethanol has a boiling point lower than that of water and is the first to evaporate through the "swan neck". Then it enters the cooler, where it condenses, and again turns into a liquid, and the water remaining in the boiler is drained:
The wine is distilled twice. The first time the degree of liquid rises to 27-32%, and during the second distillation to 68-72%. The clear liquid obtained after the second distillation is called cognac spirit and is further aged in oak barrels:
During the first years of aging, the properties of brandy alcohol change. It becomes darker in color, softer and rounder. In the aroma and taste, many shades appear, including notes of flowers, fruits and spices. During tastings, you can smell and, if you wish, try different stages of cognac "readiness":
Here you can clearly see how the color of cognac changes, depending on the exposure - cognac alcohol on the right, cognac with 6 years of aging on the left:
During aging, cognac spirit draws tannins, lignin and vanillin from the walls of the barrel:
Cognac barrels are made from French oak, at least 80 years old. Oak, as a material for the manufacture of barrels, was chosen due to its strength, fine-grained structure (that is, the wine will evaporate less through its pores) and high extractive qualities.
We visited the production of barrels, and I will write a separate post about this:
During the aging process, a significant part of the cognac evaporates through the pores of the tree (in France it is called part des anges - the share of angels), so there is a strong alcoholic spirit in all cellars. Approximately 3% of the liquid evaporates per year:
During tastings, cognac is taken directly from the barrel and poured into glasses:
The maximum cognac is aged in barrels for up to 70 years. After that, its character and properties practically do not change and, in order to prevent its further evaporation, it is poured into glass bottles, the so-called "ladies":
The properties of cognac in glass no longer change, and it can be stored like this for decades:
At the same time, the age of cognac is determined not by the year when it was poured into the barrel, but by the number of years of aging. That is, this cognac of 1893 is still considered 70 years old, since it was aged in a barrel for 70 years:
In most cases, cognac is obtained by assembling (mixing) cognac spirits of different aging years. At the same time, the exposure of the final product is determined by the minimum exposure time of the components. In the mass production of cognac, assembling allows you to maintain its same organoleptic properties, regardless of the quality of the grape harvest:
Cognac is mixed in large vats, and then bottled:
Cognacs are distinguished by age. There is a designation system on bottle labels:
* V.S. - at least 2 years
* V.S.O.P. - at least 4 years
*X.O. - at least 6 years
Cognac is tasted in the same way as the rest of the alcohol. They go down the face from top to bottom eye-nose-mouth, that is, first they look, then they sniff, and then they try.
In order to fully enjoy the skate, follow these simple rules:
* Pour 30 milliliters of cognac into a tulip glass
* Hold it by the leg or base (like the photo below)
* Cognac must be room temperature
Visual inspection:
* Raise your glass just above eye level. Look carefully at the color and its shades. A good cognac will glow with brown hues.
* Gently shake the glass and wash its walls with cognac. Look at the "tears" that flow down the walls - the slower they flow, the older the cognac
The next stage is the so-called cognac nose - the definition of its aroma. This procedure is divided into 3 parts - 3 noses:
* 1st nose: Bring the glass to your nose without shaking the cognac. Your nose should be in the center of the glass a few inches away from it. Experience the lightest floral scents. In general, the aromas of cognac are divided into floral, fruity, chocolate, woody, tobacco and earthy.
* 2nd nose: Bring the glass a little closer to the nose, to the level of the rim. Slightly shake the liquid. Feel the more complex tones of the aroma: many fruit tones, pears, apples, shades of exotic fruits and dried fruits.
* 3rd nose: Dip your nose straight into the glass and try to smell the heaviest flavors - chocolate, woody and tobacco
Tasting:
* In our mouth, taste buds are located in different places, for example, we feel sweet with the tip of the tongue, sour and salty at the edges of the tongue, and bitter at the base. To fully reveal the taste of cognac, take a small sip and then draw some air into your mouth.
* Roll brandy all over your mouth.
* In the taste of cognac, softness and flavor modulations are appreciated, when the aroma is constantly evolving and changing shades and semitones.
* The longer the aftertaste lasts, the better the cognac and the higher its class.
Whiskey consumption has been growing rapidly in the world in recent years. Young people have tasted it and drink a huge number of cocktails based on it. This haunts cognac producers. They even started producing various cognac-based liqueurs that are consumed chilled:
Another example is Canadian cider, which is produced by the House of Camus:
But the biggest surprise for me was that the French, in order to increase sales, changed all their principles. Now it is not necessary to drink cognac at room temperature and in its pure form. In all cognac houses where we visited, we were offered cognac-based cocktails:
The idea is to offer the market cocktails with higher quality alcohol than whiskey, so they began to actively mix cognac with tonic and, moreover, add lemon to it, which was previously considered a complete bad manners by the French themselves:
Cognac itself can now also be served frozen to the table:
The National Interprofessional Bureau of Cognac, which invited me on this trip, is actively promoting the Summit cognac-based cocktail, which includes:
Lime quarter
- 4 thin slices of ginger
- a long piece of cucumber peel
- 60 milliliters of cognac
- 120 ml lemonade
- 4-5 ice cubes
Until recently, a "snifter" or a spherical glass, narrowed upwards, with a large bowl and a short stem, was considered a traditional cognac glass. This glass was held in the palm of the hand, warming the cognac with its warmth, rotating the cognac along the walls of the bowl and enjoying its aromas, plunging the nose into the glass.
Now everything has changed, and now the more traditional glass is considered to be a "tulip" or a glass with a bowl in the shape of a closed tulip bud on a high stem. This glass is held by the stem or base, like a wine glass, the cognac is rotated along the walls of the bowl, allowing it to actively “breathe” oxygen, and enjoy the aromas of cognac through the narrow “exit” of the glass:
Read our community also on VKontakte, where there is a huge selection of videos on the topic "how it's done" and on Facebook.
Cognac, named after the city of the same name in France, is rightfully considered a noble drink, and it was in the French city of Cognac that this strong liquor was created. The alcohol content in alcohol can range from 40 to 60 percent. Due to the good degree and pleasant taste, the drink gained its massive popularity among the population, which contributed to the emergence of a huge number of fakes. In order to avoid unpleasant consequences from the use of a low-quality product, you should know how to check it for authenticity.
Of course, when purchasing a drink, you rarely think about the fact that you may have a fake in front of you, you want to quickly sip the velvety liquid and feel its noble aroma. But do not forget that the use of low-quality alcohol can lead to serious consequences, and headache with a severe hangover will be the least of your problems. To avoid this, you should follow some rules and resort to little tricks that can help you choose real alcohol.
Place of sale of real cognac
In order to minimize the risk of buying a fake drink, you should contact specialized alcohol sales points, large supermarkets with a good reputation, or buy it in duty free stores if we are talking about high-end brands. Careful selection of the place of purchase will provide you with additional opportunities when checking alcohol for originality. For example, you can demand certificates of origin of the drink and get expert advice when choosing.
Price
The price for a bottle of ordinary alcohol, the extract of which does not classify it as a premium, should be around 10-15 dollars. The price of a good drink is decent, so you should not immediately grab bottles that are priced at 25-35 percent cheaper. In most cases, you will buy low-quality liquor.
For example, a bottle of real in a specialized alcohol market costs at least $ 20 per 0.5 liter.
Appearance of the bottle
- Before you buy cognac, carefully study the packaging and design. Real alcohol of world-famous brands is poured into ordinary bottles of a classic look, without frills and pretentiousness, made of figured glass. As a rule, such containers have a corporate design that protects against counterfeiting. An example of simplicity and security can be brands of cognac and.
- The label is very important indicator originality of purchased alcohol. It must be glued neatly, symmetrically, without damage. Paper for labels of expensive alcohol is special, when touched it resembles an old banknote. For most fakes, the label is made of cheap paper, the quality of the print is dull and smeared in color and inscriptions. The label must indicate the age and type of alcohol, country of origin, place of production and composition.
- Beyond the bottle and label attention should be paid to the. It is made from cork wood, and such a cork clogs the bottle tightly. If an empty and loose metal cap flaunts on the bottle, be sure that this is a fake.
How to check the authenticity of brandy by excise stamp
Remember that no matter how good the bottle, cap, label and the absence of an excise stamp look, this is the minus that decides the fate of your purchase. The tax stamp must always be present. It should be tightly glued, without damage.
On excise stamp there must be a hologram and a barcode, the name must match the one stated on the label. The presence of the brand indicates that all taxes on this product have been paid, it has been legally imported into the territory of the state, and alcohol can also be checked officially.
Marking and exposure
One of the important factors in detecting fakes is the labeling and aging of alcohol. Counterfeiters usually rely on the inattention or lack of knowledge of the buyer. There are two types of markings: French and used by manufacturers of the CIS countries.
French labeling is regulated by the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac. For buyers of French alcohol, there is the following marking, by which you can find out about the aging of real cognac:
In France, it is forbidden by law to label drinks older than 6.5 years. The reason for this is that it is almost impossible to control the mixing and quality of such alcohol.
The classification used by manufacturers in the CIS countries is much simpler. This marking is most often found on alcohol. It distinguishes the following types:
Color and transparency
The color of real cognac varies from light amber, young varieties, to dark amber in varieties with a long aging period. There are no sediments in real alcohol, and light penetrates perfectly through it.
Liquid Consistency
In order to understand how good the product is in front of you, you can also turn the bottle upside down and watch the bubbles rise. If large ones rise first, and then small ones, then you have high-quality alcohol in front of you. But often the container is filled completely, and this method of verification becomes impossible.
Information about the composition and manufacturer
Since cognac is a natural drink, the composition should not contain any flavors, rectified alcohol or dyes. If there are any, it is best not to take it.
The best is alcohol produced in France and Armenia. This is important information, and it must be on the label. It is also worth remembering that drinks based on wine distillates are called real cognac, which are produced in only two regions: the French region of Charente, represented by the cities of Cognac, Jarnac, Segonzac and in Armenia. For example, - a real "Frenchman", produced in the Cognac region.
How to check cognac for authenticity and quality at home
At home, you can carry out simple manipulations to determine the quality and aging of real alcohol.. To do this, pour the liquid into the glass and rotate the slightly tilted glass around its axis. If the drink flows down the walls of the glass slowly and leaves behind even traces and individual drops that also linger on the walls, then you have a good quality drink.
To learn about aging, watch the marks on the glass. If they hold for 5 seconds, this is alcohol with an exposure of 5-8 years, 15 seconds - about 20 years, 20 seconds - 50 years or more.
Taste and aroma
The aroma of alcohol appears gradually. What does it smell like real cognac?The smell of real alcohol is multifaceted. At first there are subtle oak notes, the aroma of tobacco and various fruits is revealed, and then chocolate with hints of vanilla. Fake does not have a variety of flavors or "gives" acetone or kerosene.
It's the same with taste. Real alcohol has a pleasant mild taste, which is revealed gradually. A fake is often burning, with an alcohol flavor.
Approaching with all responsibility the choice of this noble and popular drink, you will get real pleasure and good mood. But remember that the immense use of even the highest quality and most expensive cognac can adversely affect your well-being. How do you choose a drink and have you come across fakes? Be sure to write about it in the comments.
Cognac is perhaps one of the most popular drinks in the world. Very strong, because it is a blend of various spirits, very refined and rich, and its preparation is a real art. Nowadays, there are a huge number of varieties of cognac, and this variety literally paralyzes us at the wine shelf in the store. What to do? How to choose a good cognac? What cognac to buy and how to distinguish real cognac from a fake? Only knowledge can provide answers to these questions.
Cognac is strong alcoholic drink made from cognac spirit. It is obtained by distilling dry white wines of certain varieties and aging them in oak barrels for at least three years. As a result of a very complex and lengthy technological process, it turns into an exquisite drink, acquires a sunny, amber color, a special taste and aroma with a unique shade.
Cognac can only be called a drink produced in the south-west of France, in the city and district of the same name. Drinks from other provinces and countries are produced under other names - brandy (which means "burnt wine"), armagnac, vignac. Brandy does not have a certain regulation in the manufacture, so it is not always of high quality. But there are well-known firms in Spain, Greece, Italy, producing very good brandy.
Cognac is a special drink, famous for its original taste. Shades of flavors amaze with their diversity: floral, fruity, vanilla, nutty. Deep, intense taste changes its shades in the mouth, leaving a long pleasant aftertaste. The range of aromas is very different - from very subtle to complex, with an interesting composition. The aromatic properties of cognac are used in the manufacture of confectionery.
Since France is the birthplace of cognac, it is the main producer and exporter of this drink. Cognac houses of this country are the most famous and popular. Cognac produced in France is most appreciated by lovers of this drink.
How to determine the quality of cognac? The criteria are very high. The quality of cognac can be recognized, first of all, by marking on the bottle in the form of stars (from 3 to 5) in ascending order for ordinary, in the form of certain names for vintage (aged from 6 to 10 years) and collection cognacs, in the form of Latin letters ("P" - pale, "X" - extra, "C" - cognac, "E" - special, "V" - very, "O" - old, "S" - excellent, "F" - excellent). It is of great importance from which part of the province of Cognac the grapes were harvested. There are only six of them: Grande Champagne - the most expensive and "old" cognacs are obtained from "local" grapes, with a long exposure, Petite Champagne - with a characteristic fruity taste, Les Borderies - with a light, delicate taste, do not require long exposure, Les Fins Bois (Les Fins Bois) - have the quality of "3 stars", as well as Le Bons Bois (Les Bons Bois) and Le Bois Ordiner (Les Bois Ordinaires) - not too fragrant (they say that the aroma in them is "diluted" by the proximity of the sea). Cognac has a special label only if grown in the lands of Grande Champagne and Petit Champagne, if the grapes from these two areas are mixed, it has the brand name "Fine Champagne".
Professionals know many secrets to determine the quality of cognac: external features (color, saturation, transparency, viscosity, possible age), aroma (the so-called "three waves" of smell), taste. Try to touch the outer wall of the glass with your finger - if you see prints, then the cognac is very good. Rotate the glass a little - the longer the drops flow down the walls, the older the cognac.
A lot of time will pass before the grapes harvested in the sunny lands of France turn into a favorite drink for everyone and appear on your table. But now the cognac is poured into glasses, and now you have the opportunity to taste this wonderful drink. Drink and enjoy! Try to follow the French style - coffee, cognac, cigar. And ... look for your brand.
The ability to understand alcoholic beverages is not a whim and is not a sign of alcoholism. Alcohol can be a great flavor addition to your favorite dishes or a pleasant conversation. In previous articles, we talked about gin and wines. Today's conversation is about cognac, a drink no less beloved than vodka.
The windows are lined with dozens of brands of the drink. How to understand this "magnificence"? How many stars should be on the label? How to distinguish good cognac from bad? There are many questions, and the main one is how to buy a cool drink for reasonable money?
From the history of cognac
The appearance of the drink is so overgrown with legends that many do not believe in reliable facts no matter what. Of course, the romantic version of a poor aristocrat who killed his unfaithful wife and lover in a fit of jealousy is good 🙂 But it has nothing to do with historical reality. The prose of life is much more trivial. Sixteenth century. War with England. Trade relations are disrupted and the wine spoils in gigantic quantities. Someone's bright head came up with the idea to distill the wine and cork it in oak barrels. A few years later, the world saw grape brandy.
HISTORICAL REFERENCE. The city of Cognac is located in New Aquitaine, the former historical region of Poitou. Grapes have been grown in these areas since the 12th century. The convenient location of the city attracted the Dutch who traded in salt. This contributed to the distribution of Poitou vineyard products not only to french coast but also in neighboring countries.
Under international law, cognac is a French drink. Spirits made from grapes produced in other countries and regions of France cannot be called cognac. The name left for them is grape brandy. Naturally, this applies to the rules of international trade. In our country, there is its own GOST, which determines the properties and technology of making a drink. By the way, in the Russian Empire, cognac began to be produced in the second half of the 19th century in Odessa and Yerevan.
Cognac bottle and label
Let's make one point right away. We advise you to buy cognac in specialized stores. A fake can get into an ordinary supermarket quite easily, and an alcoholic store gives an almost one hundred percent guarantee of quality. In addition, here the buyer will be able to get complete information about the drink: year of manufacture, company, country of origin, composition and other characteristics.
External paraphernalia is important when choosing a quality cognac. Here it is about the same as in the well-known proverb "they meet by clothes." That's just the "clothing" is different, and the buyer should not rush for an exquisite incredibly beautiful bottle. Do not believe it, but recognized brands produce cognac in inconspicuous, ordinary-looking bottles. Another thing is the shape of the container.
INTERESTING. The first Russian cognac factories belonged to Nikolai Shustov. He brought his products to the World Exhibition in Paris, which was held in 1900. Drinks were exhibited under the general name "cognac". The experts were amazed at the quality and awarded Shustov the first place. The entrepreneur said that he brought to the exhibition and received the right to call his products "Cognac".
A complex shape, an abundance of intricate geometry and engraving are not the desire of the manufacturer to stand out, although not without it. This is an additional line of product protection. Inspecting the bottles, pay attention to the label:
- The paper must be glued evenly;
- The label feels like paper money to the touch;
- If you run your finger, a corrugated surface is felt;
- Clear printing and colors.
It is very difficult to fake a branded bottle and label. Draw your own conclusions. Next, we are looking for an excise tax and a barcode. Install an application on your smartphone that reads the code, and you can get complete information about the drink at any time. ALWAYS read the contents of the label. On quality cognac, the information necessary for the buyer is indicated: blend, bottling date, origin and composition. The presence of additives with the letter "E" indicates the unnaturalness of the product.
cognac cork
A high-quality drink, whether ours or imported, without a difference, is produced in tightly corked bottles. No screw caps, just corks. Depending on the brand, either cork oak bark or synthetic material is used. If you buy cognac infrequently, you should know that winemakers make combined corks in the shape of the letter “T”. The lower part, located in the neck, is from the bark. The top is made of plastic, glass, ceramics and other decorative materials. Why so many difficulties, you ask. This cork is easy to open without a corkscrew. Such a cork closes as tightly as it did at the factory. Try to open the cork. If the bottle is not corked tightly, and the cork is spinning, counterfeit is in your hands.
What to look for on the label
We are accustomed to the fact that a long exposure time means best quality cognac 🙂 Connoisseurs would start an argument, but for us it is important how to determine the shutter speed. The “trick” is that the final product is a blend of several alcohols. Age is calculated according to the youngest. The rule is used by all manufacturers without exception.
FACT. The famous cognac "Hennessy" appeared in 1765. The ancestor of the world famous trading house was a retired officer Richard Hennessy. The first imports went to North America in 1794, Russia saw cognac in 1818, and shipments to China began in 1859.
Markers may vary. For Armenian, Georgian and Russian cognacs, it is customary to put "stars":
- Three "stars" - the age of cognac spirits is at least two years old;
- Four "stars" - at least four years;
- Five "stars" - at least five years.
Now for the brandy. For vintage wines, cognac and brandy, which are produced in France and the Russian Federation under license, they are divided into: ordinary, collection, vintage. There are no difficulties with ordinary drinks, the bottles are marked with stars. Collectible cognacs include spirits aged 23 years and older. The following markers are put on branded drinks:
- "KV" - an exposure of six years;
- "KVVK" - an excerpt from eight years;
- "KS" - exposure from ten years;
- "OS" - an exposure of twenty years.
UNBELIEVABLE BUT TRUE. The most expensive cognac is "Henri IV, Cognac Grande Champagne". Experts date the drink recipe to 1776. Cognac is aged for at least a hundred years. The bottles are made of 24 carat gold, and 6.5 thousand diamonds are used for decoration. The price of one bottle ranges from 1.8 to 2 million dollars.
French standards are different. In accordance with them, brandy is divided into:
- "VS" - the age of spirits from two years;
- "Superior" - spirits for three years;
- "VSOP" - alcohols are four years old;
- "VVSOP" - five-year alcohols;
- "XO" - the age of spirits from six years.
Aroma of cognac
Now let's talk about content. Try to do the following - take the bottle and turn it upside down. Watch carefully. IN quality product a large drop will fall from the bottom. One. There may also be "brooks" on the walls. For bottles filled to the top, bubbles serve as indicators of quality. At what the large ones will go first, and then the small ones. Both experiments will show the viscosity and density of the drink. Counterfeit products do not have the desired viscosity and lubricity.
IMPORTANT! Natural high-quality cognac does not bite. By the way, eating lemon is a Russian tradition. According to the French, citrus fruits interrupt the aroma of cognac. It is believed that you need to drink a drink with chocolate, pate or coffee. Real cigars are also welcome. True connoisseurs advise you to drink cognac in small portions, without snacking.
Aroma is important. Just check it out at home. Correctly assessing the smell of a drink is difficult, especially for an unprepared person. In theory, new smells gradually appear in the aroma of cognac. Connoisseurs burn "notes". After the drink is poured, there is a barely noticeable smell of oak. Gradually, "notes" of fruits, tobacco, vanilla and other flavors appear. The quantity and specificity of aromas depends on the aging, the wood of the barrel. Fake does not have a rich aroma. The smell is similar, but quickly disappears.
ADVICE. Cognac connoisseurs are advised to visit the museum of the same name, located in Moscow. The exhibits will give a complete picture of the beverage production technology. Visitors can see how winegrowers worked in the 18th and 19th century. By the way, the museum is located on the territory of the KiN plant.
To summarize the rules for choosing a quality drink:
- We buy cognac only in specialized outlets;
- When buying, we inspect the bottle, label and cork;
- We turn the bottle over and look at the behavior of the liquid.
Of course, these recipes do not guarantee a 100% hit, but will increase your chances.
Brandy (cognac) is a strong alcoholic drink (40-57% vol.), with a specific taste and bouquet, made from alcohol aged for at least 3 years, obtained by distillation of natural grape wines, in oak barrels or in enameled tanks, immersed in him with oak staves. For the first time they began to produce in France in the city of Cognac (Department of Charente), hence its name "cognac". Officially, cognac is a registered trademark drinks produced only in the province of the same name in France, and all other spirits based on wine alcohol are called brandy. The highest quality and famous brands French cognac firms Courvoisier, Hennessy, Remy Martin, Martel, Camus. In Russia, the name "cognac" is temporarily reserved for strong alcoholic beverages from wine alcohol, produced for the domestic market.
Raw materials for the production of wine alcohol are young unclarified grape wines with a strength of at least 8% vol. and acidity not lower than 4.5 g/l, which are subjected to distillation. As a result of the distillation, carried out in two steps, crude wine alcohol is obtained with a strength of 23-32% by volume, and the resulting distillate is re-distilled and several fractions are obtained: head, middle and tail. Wine alcohol is the middle fraction with a strength of 62-70% vol., which is colorless and has a sharp taste, an unpleasant, specific aroma. The resulting alcohol is poured into oak barrels and aged for several years. Wine alcohol is also aged in enameled tanks, in which pre-treated oak staves are placed. With prolonged exposure, wine alcohol is enriched with extractive substances of oak, its taste improves, a delicate aroma and golden color appear. After aging, wine spirits are blended with softened water and sugar, and after additional aging (3 months for ordinary brandies and 6 months for vintage ones), they are filtered and bottled.
Depending on the aging time of wine (cognac) spirits and the quality of brandy, they are divided into ordinary, vintage, collection.
Ordinary brandy obtained from wine spirits aged 3, 4 And 5 years. They are designated by asterisks (respectively 3, 4 and 5 stars).
vintage brandy made from wine spirits aged over 6 years. These include aged brandy KB - from wine spirits aged from 6 to 7 years; aged brandy of the highest quality KVVK - from wine spirits aged from 8 to 10 years; and brandy old KS - from wine spirits aged 10 years and older. The alcohol content (in % vol.) in KB is 40-42, KVVK is 40-45, KS is 40-57, and sugar, respectively (in g / cm 3) is 7-12, 7-25, 7-20.
Collectible consider brandy from alcohol over 10 years old, aged in oak barrels for at least 3 additional years. Collectibles also include brandy OS - very old.
Vintage and collectible brandy is given special names: Yubileiny, Chosen, Lezginka, Derbent, Caspian, etc.
Bottled French cognacs are a mixture of cognacs of various aging in barrels. French laws regulating the quality of the product accurately determine the age of only the youngest cognac that was used in blending, the rest can be older, and much more so. The following system of letter designation of high-quality cognac aging has been established:
VS - very high quality (the youngest cognac, aged for at least 2 years);
VO - very old (at least 4 years old);
VOP - very old, light (not younger than 4 years old);
VSO - very high quality, old (not younger than 4 years old);
VSEP - very high quality, special, light (not younger than 4 years old);
VSOP - very high quality, old, light (the aging period of the youngest cognac is 4-25 years);
WSOP - very, very high quality, old, light (4-25 years old);
XO, Napoleon, Louis XIII, Paradise - extra old (the youngest cognac is aged from 6 to 70 years).
Currently, under international law on controlled denominations of origin, it is prohibited to use generic names - sherry, marsala, madeira, port, malaga, champagne, cognac, etc. - for alcoholic beverages produced in other areas, regions and countries. In this regard, work is underway to streamline the names of alcoholic beverages of these types and types produced in Russia.
