Armenian cognac "Country of Stones": taste characteristics and reviews

Today we will taste the Armenian cognac "Country of Stones". What do users say about this drink? Armenia has long enjoyed the glory of a country of excellent cognacs. But, on the other hand, there are too many wineries in the republic to say about the high quality of all products. Who is the producer of the "Country of Stones"? And why does brandy bear such a name? This we will tell in our article. To begin with, say that Stone Land cognac is by no means an exclusive drink for the rich. This brand can be seen in many wine boutiques in Russia. Yes, and not worth the cognac "Country of Stones" is so much fabulous money. But the availability and prevalence of an alcoholic drink does not detract from its qualities. The ruler is represented by varieties of cognacs from three to twenty years of aging. Collectible and vintage drinks can be purchased in souvenir tubes and boxes.

Manufacturer Information

It produces the Armenian cognac "Country of Stones" Limited Liability Company "Ararat Winery". You are concerned about the abbreviation of LLC and you doubt the quality of the products of such a manufacturer? In vain. This plant was founded in 1903 and established itself as Armenia's largest producer of wines and distillates. Non-state ownership does not reduce high standards of product quality. There is a factory in Ararat, at the foot of the famous mountain of the same name. More than a century of experience in creating cognacs and knowledge in the field of winemaking and spawned the line "Country of Stones". Why is such a strange name for alcohol taken? "The Country of Stones" is called Armenia itself. The Ararat valley, surrounded on all sides by high Caucasus mountains, where only two hundred and fifty millimeters of precipitation falls throughout the year, brings out such an association.

Terroir

The French are sure that only the drink, whose raw materials are ripe in the province of Cognac, can be called cognac. Say, the climate and soil there are special. But winemakers of other countries do not agree with them. Soils and climate of the Ararat valley were created by God for growing grapes. Armenian cognac "Country of Stones" is made exclusively from local varieties. Vines grow on mountain slopes, where the sun shines three hundred days a year. But the amount of moisture in the valley is minimal - 250 mm / year. Its excess usually prevents to create a decent cognac. The ruler Stone Land was created at the junction of antiquity and modernity. The centuries-old traditions of winemaking, on the one hand, and the new style of assemblage, on the other, gave birth to a fascinating drink in which the soul of the Armenian people is fully revealed.

Production process (briefly)

Even the best raw materials can turn into mediocre brandy without following the rules of fermentation and distillation. To get the Armenian cognac "Country of Stones", the producer first produces high quality wine from local varieties of berries. At all stages of production, from harvesting to bottling, the goods undergo a thorough quality control. The plant owns its own vineyards. Their area is two hundred and fifty hectares. The resulting wine passes several distillations. As a result of such manipulations, cognac spirits are born . They are left to ripen in oak barrels for at least three years in the cellars, where a strictly controlled temperature is maintained all year round. During this time, spirits are filled with a rich aroma and exceptional taste.

Cognac "Country of Stones" - 5 years of aging

We have already said above that distillates are stored in oak barrels for at least three years. Therefore, the first (and cheapest) representative of the line "Country of Stones" is the ordinary cognac "No. 3". According to the reviews, the taste is soft, the flavor is subtle, the color is amber. A bottle of two hundred milliliters costs three hundred and twenty rubles. The ideal way to get acquainted with the ruler "Country of Stones" - small containers. But users are advised to get closer to the "older sister" of the third issue. Five-year cognac charms from the first sip. The dark-golden color of the dense liquid plays in the glass in the light with golden sparks. In the aroma you can hear ripe southern fruits with a note of tender almonds. Serve this cognac at a temperature of eighteen to twenty degrees, both solo, and in the cocktail "Tom and Jerry", "Honey Versailles" and "Mango Serge". The price of a half-liter bottle of this product is six hundred and fifty rubles.

Seven- and ten-year cognacs "Country of Stones"

These drinks are definitely better than young brandies. Seven-year-old reminded many users of the classic Armenian cognac of Soviet times. He has a rich bouquet and a perfectly balanced taste. Serve it better at a temperature above twenty degrees. So its velvety aftertaste and exquisite astringency are better revealed. Armenian cognac "Country of Stones" (10 years old) can be bought in a gift box or box with golden embossing. This is not only an excellent present, but also a table decoration. The drink has dark amber deep color, rich fruit and almond bouquet and impeccable taste, in which the notes of warm spices and the astringency of oak wood are mixed. Seven-year cognac costs seven hundred and eighty rubles for half a liter. "No. 10" is sold for two hundred rubles more, but consumers assure that the price is fully justified.

Cognac "Country of Stones" - 20 years old

Branded drinks of this line are represented by two varieties: "No. 15" and "No. 20". The name "Country of Stones" sounds good, if you imagine that the stones in this region are all completely precious. In the hands of the winemakers of the Ararat plant, the berries become just such treasures. Even the most biased gourmets appreciated cognac "The Country of Stones", 20 years of aging. It is an excellent drink with a long velvety aftertaste, a thin and rich bouquet. It is distinguished by a dark rich color (the years in an oak barrel affect the year). This cognac is best served separately, at the end of the meal, perhaps with light desserts, coffee and fruit platter.