At the moment, the market for strong alcohol is quite high competition. Supply markedly exceeds demand. Consumers began to understand alcohol, and no one wants to take mediocre goods at a clearly inflated price. Now, in order to stay on the market, products really have to be worthy.
If this concerns cognac products, then the drink should be of high quality, have a pleasant natural aroma, soft taste and a long finish.
The most interesting thing is that there are a lot of products, but if you look at it, there are very few decent drinks in the mid-price segment. But they are still there. For example, Arvest cognac from Armenia.
This drink belongs to the premium class, while it has a fairly affordable price. Although in quality, it can create worthy competition for some French cognacs.
History reference
It all started with a winery, which was built in 1874 in Dalar, not far from Yerevan. The owner of this enterprise was one enterprising Armenian. By the name of Hovsep Abrahamyan.
But then Hovsep was very inspired by the success of Shustov, who began to engage in cognac production in Armenia. Abrahamyan converted his winery into a cognac factory. And he called it “Agrek”, which in translation from Armenian sounds like “sun”. This happened in 1889, at the same time the first bottle of our own cognac left the factory. Abrahamyan’s factory was a supplier of cognac spirits to such giants of alcohol production as “Shustov” and “Smirnov”.
The Arvest cognac line was released as a jubilee for the 120th anniversary of the plant. And immediately won the hearts of the Armenians.
The most popular in the line are two positions of ordinary cognacs.
Cognac Arvest 3 years
This is the youngest drink in the line, but it is of excellent quality. It is made from grapes that grow in the very heart of the Ararat Valley. 3-year-old Arvest cognac has an amber color and a pleasant aroma. In the warming taste, walnut, chocolate and caramel notes are pronounced.
A gift box is attached to the cognac. And the bottle must have a sun ring in the form of a sun with an aging time in the middle.
Cognac Arvest 5 years
Drink made in Armenia. In the blend, the youngest alcohol has a five-year exposure. It belongs to the category of ordinary cognacs, but has high quality and excellent mild taste, with notes of spices, vanilla cream and cocoa. 5-year-old Arvest cognac has a caramel-amber color. Dark chocolate, spices and honey are clearly felt in the aroma. On this cognac, as well as on a three-year-old, there must necessarily be a little sun-shaped little ring.
How to distinguish a fake from a real cognac
When you buy a drink in a store, you can evaluate it visually. This, of course, is not a hundred percent safe from counterfeiting, but at least there will be some guarantees.
First, you need to pay attention to color. Cognac Arvest always has a bright amber hue, and it must be transparent. There can be no draft. No matter how the sellers assure, there can be no natural sediment in cognac.
The drink should be slightly viscous, not like vegetable oil, of course. But some oiliness should be. This is easy to verify. It is enough to turn the bottle upside down. If this is not a fake, then one large drop will fall from the bottom, and the so-called “tears” will form on the walls - slightly oily streaks.
After the bottle is uncorked, you need to make sure the authenticity of the drink. Real cognac changes its smell when it evaporates. A small drop of alcohol poured into a glass is enough. You need to twist the dishes in your hands so that the droplet spreads along the walls. At first, the drink will smell like oak wood, but then, when the cognac heats up a little, a note of elite pipe tobacco should be clearly audible, and only then will the aroma of fruit, flowers and vanilla appear.
In order for the aroma to reveal completely and correctly, an alcoholic beverage must be served in special glasses - snifters. Due to the thin glass and narrow neck, you can feel all the delights of a multilayer smell. You need to drink cognac in small sips, while enjoying the slowly opening aroma.
An interesting fact: the first Armenian cognac appeared thanks to the famous artist Aivazovsky. It was he who gave the money to Nerses Tairyants for the opening of the cognac factory.
What to drink cognac with
In general, in the homeland of this alcoholic drink there is a 4C rule - cognac, coffee, chocolate, cigar. All these four words in French begin with the letter C. It is believed that cognac is no longer combined with anything, that eating it is blasphemy. And it is served solely as a digestif. But this is in France, but it is customary for us to drink strong alcohol for snacks. Otherwise, you can get intoxicated very quickly.
Arvest brandy goes well with baked meat, game, seafood, fruits and chocolate. But, as is customary, lemon or other citrus fruits should not be served. They completely clog both the taste and aroma of the drink.
Oddly enough, but this cognac proved to be excellent as the main ingredient of some cocktails.
Types of Arvest cognac
In addition to the ordinary drinks that were described above, the line also has vintage positions, among which even the most fastidious connoisseur will find alcohol to his taste.
Cognac "Arvest Napoleon". In the blend of this drink, the youngest alcohol is aged seven years. It has an amber color with a copper tint. In the aroma, dry flowers blend harmoniously with vanilla, chocolate and wood. The taste is full of raisins, dried apricots and oak notes.
Cognac Arvest XO. Here the oldest spirits of the plant are collected in a blend. It has a dark amber color. The aroma is complex, multifaceted with a predominance of oak notes. The taste is soft, harmonious with fruit and chocolate shades.
The Arvest line will delight any buyer with excellent quality at an affordable price. There is a young, light three-year-old cognac, and a mature drink for true connoisseurs. Every strong alcohol lover will find a bottle worthy of his home bar.
Ordinary cognacs are perfect for a feast - both festive and just evening gatherings. But branded drinks are still better to enjoy, albeit in a pleasant, but small and quiet company.