Cognac "Shustov" - a drink with a solid history dating back to the Northern War itself. It was then that the first mention of the merchant dynasty, which gave the name to aged brandy, can be traced in the documents. It is remarkable that the entrepreneurial activity of the Shustov family lasted from the beginning of the eighteenth century until the October Revolution of 1917. In this article, we will not only talk about the fascinating history of cognac factories with this big name, but also describe the characteristics of modern drinks. Yes, despite the fact that all the production facilities of the Shustovs were expropriated by the new government, their cause did not die. The descendants of the cognac masters waited in the wings, and now the Global Spirits holding, controlled by representatives of the family, produces strong drinks. The production of elite brandy is carried out on the former Shustovy wineries - near Odessa.
Brand history
It is reliably known that the first of the Shustovs, Leonty, was a serf, who received freedom from his master, General Izmailov. Having settled in Moscow, an enterprising peasant took up the salt business and was very successful in this matter. He had both deposits leased from the state and his own. Having made a great fortune on salt, the descendants of Leonty decided not to put all their eggs in one basket, but to do something else. Brandy production attracted their attention. This niche has not yet been occupied by competitors. In Moscow, mainly produced vodka. In 1863, Nikolai Shustov acquired the old forge and installed the first distillation cube in it. Seventeen years later, there were company stores at the Moscow factory. In 1896, a mutual partnership was founded, and soon all of Russia already knew what the Shustov brandy was. The history of this brilliant holding was cut short during the October Revolution.
Production geographic map
But in a short twenty years, the Shustov brothers, Nikolai and Vasily, carried out truly titanic work. In 1899, Nerses Tairyan sold his brandy factory in Yerevan to Moscow entrepreneurs. Almost immediately, a distillery in Odessa was acquired. It should be said that the brothers approached the new business, the production of cognac, with all responsibility. Vasily Nikolayevich Shustov was trained in France. From the province of Cognac, he brought technological secrets and the recipe for making the drink. In 1900, the brothers anonymously sent the Shustov cognac to participate in the competition at the World Exhibition in Paris. Unexpectedly for everyone, the incognito drink received the main prize. As a result, the astonished French allowed the Shustovs to use the word cognac on the labels of their products, although laws controlling the origin of drinks require foreign manufacturers to indicate “brandy”.
Top fans
Nicholas II is known for knowing a lot about good drinks. And he appreciated the Shustov cognac. In 1912, the family partnership became the official supplier of alcohol to the imperial court. Another cognac factory in Chisinau was bought. At the beginning of World War I, the Shustovs controlled a third of all Russian alcohol production and forty-four percent of its exports. The partnership also produced tinctures, among which the most famous are Caucasian Herbalist, Riga Balsam, Zubrovka, Rowan on Cognac, Spotkach, Erofeyich, Casserole, Mandarin and others. These recipes were adopted by the Soviet state alcohol business. Sergei Yesenin preferred "Rowan on brandy." And Carl Faberge drank only "Riga Balsam." Churchill, in order to tease Stalin, annually ordered himself four hundred bottles of "the famous cognac Shustov."
Modern brandy brand "Shustov"
“All this is good,” drink connoisseurs will say, “but this is already history. What now? "Does the modern Shustov cognac have anything from the former, besides a branded bottle in the form of a bell?" The question is far from idle. We know many examples when negligent manufacturers simply exploit the fame of a famous brand. But do not forget that quality control of products is carried out at the international level. And numerous awards testify to this. So, cognac “Shustov Zolotoy Dyuk” received three medals at international competitions. The label “Gums” is decorated with five gold circles and one silver. At international competitions, “Kiev” received eight medals, “Odessa” - six. Most of the awards are from Ukraine. This brand of Shustovsky cognac earned eleven medals (six gold and five silver).
The best ordinary cognacs of Odessa factory
Why are we talking about the production of the famous brandy in Ukraine? Thirty kilometers from Odessa, the Shustov brothers themselves highly appreciated this plant. The factory grounds are located in Grossliebenthal. This area, whose name translates as "Valley of Great Love" was inhabited by German colonists in the eighteenth century. Here the ideal climate for growing grapes of French varieties - Aligoté, Chardonnay, Sauvignon. Yes, and the soil is quite suitable. The vines were carefully selected in France and Germany. New equipment was also purchased there. The plant employs specialists in blending and assembling. Among the inexpensive ordinary drinks, the Paris VVSO and Desna Grand Prix are in demand. Cognac "Shustov 5 stars" is an excellent compromise of low price and excellent quality. It is created from different alcohols of at least five years of age. The drink has a delicate bouquet with floral notes and a soft full-bodied taste.
Cognac "Shustov Yubileiny"
To create this drink using an assembly of selected alcohols from the age of nine to fifteen years. The drink is ripe in old Limousin oak barrels made without a single nail. As a result, after evaporation through the pores of the wood, the “share of the angels” at Yubileiny appears a delicate bouquet with vanilla-chocolate and floral tones and an excellent complex taste. This vintage cognac received three gold medals at competitions in Moscow, Kiev and Yalta. What else can I recommend the Shustov brandy? Reviews praise the complex bouquet and the long pleasant aftertaste of the ten-year-old Arcadia. Of the collection stamps, you can recommend “Golden Duke”, “Kiev” and “Odessa”.