6 characteristics that you should pay attention to when choosing cognac (2 photos)

Many people choose a drink only according to the principle “the more stars, the better.” This is a fundamentally wrong approach. We tell you what you need to look for to get real gastronomic pleasure from drinking.





Country of Origin

A short excursion: cognac is a geographically protected name. Only a drink made in the French department of the same name can be called this way. All other “cognac” presented on store shelves is grape brandy.

Does this mean that the rest of the alcohol is bad or of low quality? No. There are many worthy representatives of brandy that are not inferior in taste to the French version. But they cannot be called cognacs.



Brand

Choose cognac from trusted brands: Camus, Hennessy, Remy Martin, Delamain, Courvoisier, Hine, Baron Otard, Lheraud. These are real mastodons in the world of alcohol. The logo of such a brand on the label is a sign of quality.

Price

Elite cognac and its price must match. Making alcohol is a labor-intensive and expensive process. A priori, high-quality alcohol cannot be cheap. Saving in this matter greatly increases the likelihood of purchasing a fake.

Capacity

Good cognac is bottled exclusively in glass containers. The bottle cannot have chips, irregularities, poorly visible patterns or engravings. The label should be attached smoothly, without any traces of glue.

To seal French cognac, only cork oak caps are used. Check how tightly the cork closes the neck of the bottle.

Appearance

Cognac should be oily. Try a simple experiment: tilt the bottle - genuine alcohol is a little viscous. But the counterfeit is water with water. Also, the presence of even the slightest sediment is not allowed in cognac.

Label information

Study the composition of alcohol. If there are alcohols, dyes, preservatives, or synthetic additives, it is better to leave the bottle on the shelf. The age of the drink must also be indicated on the label. According to French standards these are:

VS – 2 years;

Superior – 3 years;

VSOP – 4 years;

VVSOP – 5 years;

XO – 6 years or more.

The older the alcohol, the higher its price. Some collectible items cost incredible amounts of money. But this does not stop cognac connoisseurs in pursuit of rare copies of their favorite drink.

By the way, cognac is an excellent gift for a man. A bottle of aged grape alcohol will not gather dust in a distant drawer for years. You can present alcohol for any occasion: from a birthday to a promotion or starting your own business. And when you know how to choose the right cognac, the only thing left to do is!