A beginner in the matter of choosing cognac and evaluating its taste is quite simple to determine. Often he makes those mistakes, the essence and nature of which were imposed on such a "sommelier" as a result of the influence of popular culture or the errors of an inexperienced society. One of these supposedly facts is the sediment in cognac. It is believed that a muddy drink was made with a mistake in the recipe, and XO and VSOP drinks must be crystal clear. An article about whether this is justified, and also whether the sediment in cognac can affect the taste.
Can such brandy be called genuine?
The first rumor that grape brandy lovers try to fight, especially status and seasoned brands. This is a statement that sediment is an emblem of low quality drink. First, you need to understand that small flakes at the bottom - this is quite normal. Precipitation in cognac occurs both in the products of the best wineries in France, and in the number of drinks from little-known or fake brands. Secondly, this is not an indicator of the authenticity of cognac, because it does not depend on the subtle nuances of the production cycle or the spill of ready-made alcohol.
Expensive cognac with sediment
Yes, expensive and status cognac can be sediment. No, this does not mean at all that the buyer was shamelessly deceived and sold as a surrogate under the guise of expensive alcohol. Often the precipitate in cognac is just a factor that determines the characteristics of the raw materials used to make the drink. It is possible that the cognac grape variety for a particular batch of alcohol was too saturated with minerals, as a result of which strange flakes appeared. Distillation and distillation cannot completely eliminate this; moreover, the precipitate appears only with time.
Possible causes of bottom flakes
As mentioned above, the first reason that sediment may appear in a bottle of brandy is the chemical composition of the raw material. For example, the chemical composition of grapes includes ammonium salts, the volume of which varies significantly from the origin of the raw materials, the climate in a particular season or crop, or blend. Sediment in brandy may well appear due to the characteristics of the water used in the production cycle. Keeping track of all these variables is extremely difficult and, in truth, not necessary. Yes, sediment flakes somewhat diminish the brandy presentation, but do not undermine the demand for so much as to tackle this problem closely.
The second reason a small precipitate may appear at the bottom of the bottle is the woody structure of the peel or barrels. That is, following this logic, absolutely transparent cognac, most likely, was kept just in the glass, which does not mean the benefits of this particular brand of drink. The presence of sediment in this case can be regarded, on the contrary, as an advantage that gives confidence to the buyer regarding the aging characteristics of a particular bottle of cognac. Such a drink can also be drunk without fear.
Are there reasons to fear for health
Depending on the chemical composition, the effect on the body varies. Almost always, it does not entail serious health consequences, but it is still necessary to know about it:
- Iron. Such a drink is often darker and more dull than the available analogues on the market. Such a precipitate appears if alcohol comes in contact with the metal fastenings of the barrel or when transporting with pipes.
- Copper. A reddish-red precipitate appears as a result of the contact of alcohol with copper alambiks used in the production lines of houses specializing in authentic recipes.
- Calcium. Appears as a result of contact with low-quality paper filters. It appears in the form of small white crystals at the bottom of the bottle.
Each of these factors is not able to have a significant impact on the taste or harm the health of a connoisseur of good alcohol, which cannot be said, however, about such a category of drinks as a surrogate.
Sediment in a poor quality bottle or fake
There are several factors that can determine this brandy. Describing them all is problematic, since such a bottle should be evaluated immediately according to several criteria, including appearance, label, packaging, font, labeling, taste, aroma and so on. It is important to know that the precipitate in a bottle of too cheap cognac is not natural or accidental, resulting from the characteristics of raw materials. Such flakes are a by-product of adding emulsifiers, essences, flavor enhancers or flavors to cognac. Drinking such alcohol is, of course, extremely unhealthy, in addition, it is unlikely that the buyer will receive pleasant emotions from the palette of taste.
Do not succumb to the influence of mass delusion and blame the manufacturer for the cloudy sediment in the bottle. This is completely normal if the drink is genuine. Is it possible to drink sediment in cognac? Yes, it will not affect the taste or the changes will be so insignificant that the consumer is unlikely to notice them.