When people first hear the phrase "Russian whiskey", they involuntarily begin to smile, and someone openly laughs. After all, this drink has always been imported for us, and only a few countries produce it: Scotland, Ireland, America and Japan. Although whiskey is not tied to a certain territory, such as cognac, here you just need to follow a certain technology.
So times are changing, and the production of whiskey is gradually starting to improve in the vastness of our vast Motherland. But this is not the main thing. The whole question is whether to replace the originals with our analogs? How much a high-quality product and a wide range of products await buyers.
It all depends on demand
For several years, whiskey has been a leader in popularity among strong alcoholic beverages. It is now not only ordered in institutions such as bars, cafes or restaurants, this drink is bought for home holidays and just meetings with friends. That is, demand is growing every day, and manufacturers simply could not help but respond.
Especially when there is a very good example at hand: Belarus has been producing its own rum, whiskey and tequila for several years. All of the above factors prompted domestic producers to create Russian whiskey.
The first domestic drink
Now there are several brands of Russian whiskey, but the Praskoveysky factory, which is located in the Stavropol Territory, has become a pioneer in this industry. Here the first strong alcoholic drink based on cereal crops was created, and it is called Praskoveyskoe.
How is whiskey made
The factory respects all the traditions of Irish manufacturers. The most experienced employees of the enterprise studied the craftsmanship of whiskey production in Ireland, they know all the traditional methods of making a drink.
Production technology:
- Only grains of selected barley are used, which undergo special processing.
- Primary distillation.
- Then the distillate obtained is sent for aging in oak barrels, where it will stay for five years.
Organoleptic properties
According to reviews, the Russian whiskey Praskoveyskoe is distinguished by its softness and balanced bouquet, which is not typical for Irish drinks. But this is the best option for our consumers.
The only negative is that this drink is very difficult to find on the shelves of supermarkets or even specialty stores. Most often, he is found in his homeland in Stavropol.
Scotch Russian Whiskey 7 Yards
This is another domestic brand. But he is not entirely ours, since most of the production process takes place in Scotland. An almost ready-made drink arrives in the Russian Federation, which needs a little aging. In fact, in our country it is only bottled, but this drink also deserves attention.
The Perspective of “Russian Scotland”
Of course, Russian whiskey is significantly different from the original Scotch. Domestic masters can be very skilled and experienced, observe all the technology and even discover the secrets of the Scots, but this will not help. Since it's all about the climate.
In order to get as close to Scottish scotch tape as possible, you need to observe many conditions. Only in this case, you can achieve the "right" taste and aroma.
And on the territory of Russia there was a place that is very close to Scotland by climatic conditions. This is Dagestan. It was there, in the city of Kizlyar, that a production complex was built that is capable of producing an original drink.
Whiskey Black Corsair
This drink has a fairly low price, on average, it costs about three hundred rubles per half liter.
It looks like a completely standard bottle, not of interest. The label is fully consistent with the name, on it a whiskered pirate in a boat plies the boundless ocean. There is an inscription from which you can find out that this alcoholic drink belongs to elite Russian-made whiskeys.
A drink is made by the company LLC NPP "Whiskey of Russia", located in Dagestan in the city of Kizlyar. This, by the way, is the complex that was mentioned above. By the way, this enterprise is well known to lovers of strong alcohol in Kizlyar cognac, which is of excellent quality.
The composition of the Russian Black Corsair whiskey includes three-year-old grain alcohol, it is diluted with softened drinking water and simple sugar color is added. That is, neither ethyl alcohol nor flavorings are used for the production of the beverage. Water is added solely in order to achieve the desired strength.
Taste qualities
The first flavor, which is felt immediately after the bottle is uncorked, is very similar to cognac, but not so strong. There is a harsh smell of alcohol, but it does not spoil the overall picture. After the drink enters the glass, a secondary aroma appears, with pronounced notes of smoke. He, of course, is not quite the same as that of Scottish scotch tape, but is close enough to the original.
The taste is a little sweet with notes of caramel and a mixture of dried fruits. If you add a few ice cubes to the whiskey, it will become much softer.
It is impossible to buy imported whiskey for such a price, so if the financial situation is slightly limping, it is quite possible to be satisfied with domestic alcohol, which is very high quality.
Fox & dog
Another brand of Russian-made whiskey is Fox and Dog. It has a nutty vanilla flavor and a light fruity aroma. This drink has been on our market recently, since 2013. It is produced by the Synergy company, and this enterprise has produced a drink of this kind for the first time. The management of the company decided to take this step because of the very rapid growth in demand for whiskey. It is this drink that many alcohol companies consider strategic.
At first, alcohol was produced from Scottish alcohols, with an endurance of three to five years, at one of the plants of William Grant. But when in 2015, prices for foreign alcohol crawled up at an incredible rate, and leading importers reduced their supply by a third, it was time to think. It was decided to transfer the production of whiskey "Fox and Dog" to Russia. As soon as in the same year a law was passed, according to which it was possible to open the production of a noble drink in the territory of the Russian Federation, the mosaic developed by itself. Now this brand is completely domestic production, and its price has fallen by more than thirty percent.
Whiskey "Fox and Dog" is made from Scottish alcohol, with an aging of at least three years. By the way, this process takes place in barrels in which American bourbon was previously aged.
It has a warm amber color with golden highlights. This drink very beautifully "plays" in a glass. The aroma is dominated by fruit tones. The taste is balanced, in it a light sweetness is perfectly combined with nutty notes. This drink can be served as a digestif to fruits and coffee. It is also often used in cocktails.
Your choice
For this drink, rye whiskey production technology is used. This method is rarely used in our country. The main feature is that alcohol is made from rye and then aged in French oak barrels.
This Russian whiskey has a rich amber color. It has a characteristic aroma in which toasted bread and cereals appear in the foreground, and malt and nuts come in the background. The soft sweet taste is dominated by spices and smoke.