Cognac is considered the most sophisticated strong drink in the world. This noble alcohol has a multifaceted taste and aroma. Judging by the reviews, many lovers of strong alcohol are interested in the question of which brandy to buy. And no wonder, since on the shelves this alcoholic product is presented in a very wide assortment. In addition, the market is flooded with counterfeit goods. How to choose cognac in the store? What to consider in order not to become the owner of a fake? Only in this case, the drink will deliver the expected pleasure. You will learn about how to choose real cognac in the store and what nuances should be paid attention to in this article.
The country of manufacture
If you don’t know how to choose cognac in the store, first read the label. It should indicate where the alcohol was produced. If this is France, then without a doubt you have a real cognac in your hands. The fact is that under international law, alcoholic beverages produced in other states cannot be called cognac. For aged grape distillates, a different name is provided, namely brandy. Nevertheless, most manufacturing companies ignore such formalities. This is especially true for alcohol produced in Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, Abkhazia and Russia. However, judging by numerous consumer reviews, good cognac products are made not only within France. For example, many good reviews have good Armenian cognac. Be that as it may, French-made grape brandy is a guarantee of quality. If the drink is made in another state, then there is a risk that its taste and aroma will be worse.
About the price
Those who are interested in how to choose quality cognac in the store can be advised to pay attention to its price. A good alcoholic drink will not cost you cheaply. According to experts, the cost of cognac is predetermined by the technology of its manufacture. For example, to produce a grape distillate of 0.5 l, you will need young wine (5 l). Excerpts in oak barrels should also be added here. The result is a rather impressive amount, which is considered fair for both French cognacs and grape brandies from other countries. If you do not know how to choose cognac in the store, you should be guided by the price, which is considered average for the market for alcoholic products of the same exposure. Choosing a cheap liquor, you knowingly put yourself at risk.
Where to buy alcohol?
According to professional tasters, the high price of cognac does not guarantee its high quality. Thanks to modern technology, fraudsters can fake a lot of brandy brands that have reliable protection. Manufacturers of counterfeit products skillfully imitate the consistency, aroma and color of alcohol. To do this, it is enough to fill the cheap distillate with certain dyes and flavors. What to do in this case? First of all, dubious outlets should be excluded. For example, stalls and small shops. The risk of acquiring a fake will be minimal if you go to a supermarket or a specialty store for cognac.
Bottle decoration
How to choose cognac in the store? What else should you pay attention to? As experts recommend, you need to examine the appearance of the container, which contains the drink. Real cognac, without exception, is always bottled in glass bottles. They come in many different forms. It all depends on what the particular manufacturer prefers. Some brandy brands may be in simple and ascetic bottles. Some are characterized by complex architecture, a large number of markings and faces. The original form of packaging is an additional protection, since it will not be easy to fake it for fraudsters.
Label
Labels on a bottle of real cognac are always glued neatly. On the container they are located evenly, there are no glue streaks. For the manufacture of labels used expensive paper. It is pleasant to the touch and slightly corrugated. A similar paper is used in the manufacture of banknotes. The label must contain detailed information about alcohol products. For example, the manufacturer of cognac, the composition of the alcoholic beverage, the aging period and the date of the spill are indicated. In Russia, an excise stamp with a specific bar code is still glued to glass containers, thanks to which alcohol is identified in the EGAIS system.
Bung
Before choosing cognac in the store, look at the quality of the cork on the bottle. It must be hermetically sealed. This will be possible if the alcohol is actually manufactured at the enterprise. The neck is always sealed with a special cap made of polylaminate. Corks are mainly made from the bark of cork oak. If brandy is inexpensive, then in most cases, instead of cork, agglomerated or synthetic plugs are used. The cork should be T-shaped. Its upper part is covered with ceramic plastic, glass or some other materials.
About composition
It is not difficult to familiarize yourself with the contents of the cognac by looking at its label. The basis of this alcohol is cognac. Traditionally, white grape varieties are used for their manufacture, namely Montil, Calombar, Semillon, Uny Blanc, Folignan and Select. As part of cognac can be either one or several varieties. In addition, this alcoholic product is always seasoned with tannins, ethyl esters, organic acids and tannins. Manufacturers use water, sugar and caramel as additives.
The above ingredients are considered the classic standard and are mandatory for cognacs made in France. Grape brandies produced outside of France may have a slightly different composition. How to choose Armenian cognac in the store? This can be done visually. A quality drink should be crystal clear. If there is clouding or sediment, then this is most likely a fake. According to experts, cognacs can change their color depending on how long they are aged in barrels. For example, a light yellow color is characteristic of young cognacs. Over time, it becomes dark brown.
About Excerpt
It is considered the main factor that determines the cost of production. The longer cognac is aged in oak barrels, the better. Therefore, this will affect its price. If you want to choose a really high-quality cognac, take the distillate with the greatest exposure. You can determine how long the alcohol was in the barrel by looking at the label. There must be one of the following designations:
- VS Indicates that the cognac is two years old.
- Superior The length of stay in the barrel is at least three years.
- VSOP Five year old products.
- H.O. Cognac has been in a barrel for over six years.
Grape brandies that are produced outside of France are single or ordinary, vintage and collectible. Unary stand up to 5 years. Distillate aging is indicated on the label by stars. Each asterisk indicates the year spent in the barrel. Vintage are labeled as KV (6 years of aging), KVVK (8 years), KS (10) and OS (12-year exposure).
Collectibles are considered special drinks. At least such brandy is aged 23 years. Despite the fact that products with a long exposure costs more, amazing organoleptic properties are not always inherent in it. It may be that cognacs with a 10-year period are characterized by an original bouquet and a rather mediocre taste. If you are not an expert in this field, then you do not need to pay extra for the age of alcohol. Judging by consumer reviews, very good cognacs are often found, the aging period of which does not exceed 5 years.
How to choose a good cognac in the store?
Before making a purchase, evaluate the products by the following parameters:
- Consider which bottle has the shape. The container must be free of chips and any other damage.
- This brandy has a thick, viscous and oily consistency without sediment and impurities.
- It is undesirable to buy cognac, the cost of which is below 500 rubles.
To ensure the quality of cognac, experts recommend quickly turning the container with its neck down. If the drink is good, it will drip oily drips on the wall, and one big drop will fall from the bottom. It may be that the container is filled with alcohol to the very top. In this case, you also need to turn it upside down. In high-quality alcohol, first of all, large bubbles should rise, and then small ones.
What will experts advise?
For those consumers who have difficulty choosing cognac, the following brands can be recommended. The brands of French cognac Martell, Remy, Martin, Hennessy and Courvoisier are considered very popular.
Among the Armenian: “Noah”, “Ararat”, “Akhtamar”, “Vaspurakan”, “Dvin” and “Sargis”. In Georgia, they produce Eniseli, Egrisi, Batumi, Askaneli, in Russia Lezginka, Old Koenigsberg and Derbent. Among brandy brands of Moldavian production, Doina, Sunny Calaras and White Stork are very much bought.