whisky review 604 - Ararat 10yo Brandy/Cognac
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- Опубликовано: 29 окт 2016
- www.scotchwhiskyauctions.com/
www.bonaccordpub.com/ are sponsoring ralfy for World Record Attempts at Bonneville 2016
you can buy me a 'wee dram' at / ralfy
Bonneville 2016 World Records - saltywheels.blogspot.com
This video represents a personal opinion and perspective only.
To comply with Google Adsense policy this video is an independent non-profit review and is not selling or linking to a site that sells the product being reviewed.
I haven't had a drink in years, I'm just here to watch Ralfy.
I find that hard to believe. Lol he’s the reason why I started drinking.
Ralfy, you are the best with no close second.
I tried many brandy/cognac but none was a standout. I will give Ararat a try.
I agree with you, Armenian brandy should advertise beyond just highlighting their similarity to cognac. Armenians (at least the community in my city) are super friendly, and Armenia has such a history with winemaking and brandy that they could hold their own without ever mentioning Cognac. The brandy is such a hidden gem that, even though it's fun to be the hipster that likes the different thing, it deserves to have more attention.
. . . I totally agree !
Excellent choice! The 20 yo is absolutely fantastic.
This stuff is all over California, where there is a huge Armenian population. In fact, many of the liquor stores around Los Angeles are run by Armenians. There are other Armenian spirits as well that for some reason I've never picked up on. Great information as always! I'll be picking up a bottle shortly.
I live in Los Angeles. And just two days ago I went to a store in Glendale called Remedy Wine and Liquor. Awesome store with some hip vibes. The store is a gold mine on fine Armenian Brandies and is Armenian owned. They also have a wine cellar on the 2nd floor. I even found a brandy in a G wagon shaped decanter.
“Ararat” brandy won Grand-prix in 1900 in Paris and impressed the French experts that they allowed to name the brandy as “cognac”
i know im asking the wrong place but does any of you know of a trick to log back into an Instagram account..?
I was dumb forgot the account password. I would love any assistance you can offer me!
@Boden Thatcher instablaster ;)
@Karsyn Leland Thanks so much for your reply. I found the site through google and im trying it out now.
Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later with my results.
@Karsyn Leland It did the trick and I now got access to my account again. I'm so happy:D
Thanks so much, you saved my account !
@Boden Thatcher No problem xD
I had the apricot brandy of them this weekend. Lovely stuff.
I am literally in love with it! It tastes amazing with some ice and lime juice.
Actually, I'm so much more interested in the "little extras" before and after the tasting notes than the notes themselves. I really like to listen to you philosophing about spirits, society and the world. :) That sets you apart from most other reviewers.
one of my Armenian "buddy" lol... shared a 30 years old one with me i cant even begin to explain how good it was
Please tell me the EZACT name of this. I adore these people and want to $upport with purchase.
Well done Ralfy - just discovered this wonderful brandy many years after your review.
Hi Ralfy, I'm the other half of the fan base that watches all your vlogs from start to finish. I also happen to be Armenian, you did the country and liquor justice. Great review as always! If I could ever help you with anything Armenian, please feel free to ask me, Robby
Had the Ararat Dvin expression two years ago and i enjoyed it very much. Good quality brandy. Great review as always Ralfy.
That’s an amazing Brandy,
Knowing that’s them who first crafted brandy, it brings a lots of experience in making it
I'm the second half.. i watch everything u release and its always fascinating. This is a spiritual pursuit and its amazing!! thank u for providing it..
. . . it is indeed a spirity pursuit !
Ralfy on your spiritual XD pursuits have you stumbled on Unicum? it's my herbal holy grail.
Thanks for the review Ralfy! Make sure to try 20 years - it is absolutely amazing! Another level!
Hi Ralfy! So glad to see you reviewed Ararat! I actually suggested it in a post a while back on one of your videos, not sure if you saw it. Anyway, I'm from NYC and just returned from Armenia a few weeks ago, and in fact was at the Ararat factory! I really enjoy all of their Cognac Brandies! I'd be more than happy to share any info, I've learned and sampled a lot. They really are fantastic, and there are a lot of differences. Feel free to message me if you'd like to know anything. BTW, there is a lot of misinformation from some of your users below and don't want people to be confused. Absolutely GREAT STUFF!!!! Thanks again.
One of Ralfy’s best review! Cheers Malt mates! 🥃
Hey Ralfy, just sipped some of the 5 year. Very good stuff. Wanted to mention that I had some real blueberry green tea with it - AN ASTOUNDING PAIRING
This was a surprise to see here! Had the pleasure of living in Georgia for a few years. Ararat and Sarajishvili were always pleasures. Every other family in the countryside seems to make their own as well. Very friendly place, the Caucuses. Would love to go back to the region!
I've gone through several bottles of these. Just delightful.
Love watching you Ralfy, hope to see you hit 100,000 viewers soon. I'll be looking for Ararat at my local LCBO as soon as tomorrow.
hello ralfy, just watched another great review and i thought i would share something i discovered a little while back. a man on youtube said he first saw it at a restaurant in africa i believe. ive tried this with cognac not sure how it works with brandys but with cognac it you heat the drink in your glass just slightly it brings the flavors out very much. i didnt think much of it at first but just pour your glass then set it over a cup of hot water for about a minute and the flavor is just amazing. just trust me ralfu its worth a try.
Thanks for your review on Ararat Brandnac, Ralfy!
The part where you talked about visiting and climbing Ararat.. I imagined that Holy Mountain for Armenians, unable to go to their ancestral home as they are forbidden by the Turks, merely able and forced to look on Ararat from practically everywhere in modern Armenia. What a way to be reminded of a lost homeland, ethnic cleansing and genocide. Best have another Brandnac, yes indeedie.
A quality spirit can help forgive the unforgivable. To your good health sir.
Not everyone likes metal music but there's a song about that genocide and Mountain of Ararat. Check "System Of A Down - Holy Mountains" if you didn't know that already. Cheers :)
@ozayevable umm, yes we absolutely are forbidden I don't know who you are or where you're getting your info buddy.
Ralfy, you should try Ararat DVin. It's wonderful! Yerevan claims it was Churchill's go to brandy.
took 4 bottles of Palinka with me last week from Hungary, it is brandy made of certain fruits, I bought apple, pear, sherry and apricot, plus I got a bottle of Austrian Slivovitch from a friend as well. I love my single malts, but I agree with you Ralfy, it is good to train your palet once in a while with something different.........and you know what???..................These Palinka's are absolutely delicious!!
Hi, Ralfy. Like Ararat. Many expressions are available in NorCal. On a note of your audience assessment, I suspect that view numbers also relate to whether the spirit is locally available (or likely available). Some of us are, of course, curious about a spirit even if it's unavailable to us, and we also aspire to taste for ourselves based on your considerations. Thanks as always for these thoughtful reviews, histories, and commentaries.
I just tried the 5 year version because of technical reasons ordering. I prefer tequila and strong redwine and I wanted something different after trying Ararat I can see why a Whisky drinker would like this, I really taste the oak and then a burnt caramel type flavour, hint of spices but the 5 year has a very strong alcohol flavour that does a disservice to all the complex notes. Its nice stuff but since I am not a Brandy drinker I think it might be wasted on me although it is growing on me. Repasado Tequila is something I go to for a shot, I love the mental effect and the taste. Ararat I think is something you sit with and ponder, its not a casual drink, its not something to get your day going or get your mojo on for sports or whatever else. Ararat is something you drink after accomplishing something significant with your life and you want to internally reflect maybe with a very good friend/partner about what brought you to this achievement and how you are going to follow through. I do not think Ararat is something you just casually drink for fun or to get a slight buzz because the significance of the effect is wasted. I think one people fail to talk about is that a variety of alcohols have different psychological/emotional effects which you should be taken into account of the purpose of drinking, itself, is a tool to achieve something and is not an end in itself. The 5 year bottle itself is beautifulky clean and to the point while having elegant and limited artistic designs without unnessary ostentation I think the bottle itself is a work of art that reflects the taste of the liquid inside it. Who doesn't love mountains with spiritual significance?
Very good review. Thank you! The Armenian cognacs have been the staple of the USSR festivities for many decades. Glad to see that they are making a global entrance.
I discovered Armenian brandy while perusing my local international market, and I fell in love. Tends to have more chocolatey and coffee-like notes unlike cognac's more dried dark fruity notes
This video is the reason I became your follower. Try also if you come across Koktebel. I absolutely love their 15 yo & 25 yo bottles. It is from Crimea. We also have here Ararat products all over the place. Excellent review sir!
In Russia it is cognac )) nice cognac (brandy).
Very cool video Ralfy! Thank you! Armenian Cognac is amazing! Ararat is very good stuff. Also if you can find it, Try to get your hands on the ARMA cognac ( usually imported by some German companies ) their 10 and 15 year range is fantastic and very budget friendly.
Bought a bottle of this in Latvia a few years back. I wasn't a huge fan at first but grew to like it. As you say very spiced and think I expected to be more like a French style cognac but after that initial shock I liked it.
I had always dismissed brandy as your grandmother's drink, but I bought a cognac gift set for my dad last Christmas and had a sample and now I drink more brandy/cognac than I do whiskey.
Heh Ralfy I actually have tasted the regular Ararat before. My dad bought it years ago @ Estonia, since it was the cheapest brandy/cognac there was. Surprisingly good for the price!
Ralfy, I visited Kingsbarns distillery last week, The whole crew (John the tour guide, Douglas, Peter, and the Spanish lady at the front desk) says hello. I bought a bottle of the Wemyss 1991 Glen Scotia. Simply superb. Cheers. Leonid
. . . good to hear you had a successful visit !
I tried Ararat 6 years old. It's very complex on the nose and very smooth. Buying a bottle or two of 10 year old tomorrow!
That intro made me feel like I was a adventurer watching this video with great curiosity : D
I bought a similar ones but the 7 years version. But I haven't tried it though. Now I know what to expect somehow. Nice review!
Definitely of the curious, interested category of malt mates.
Lovely. I think I had some of this about 10 years ago - made in Soviet Armenia as it then was. It was very good.
Only begun to dabble in the world of brandy - Metaxa and some Armagnacs and some Spanish ones. Budgets need balancing!
FYI Cognac is only from a specific region of France and must carry an Appellation d'origine contrôlée - that's its mark of provenance.
Until now, I only knew the 3Y, 5Y and 7Y of Ararat. I like the 5Y and 7Y. Now I will look forward to taste the 10Y. I'm sure it will be great. Thank you for looking beyond the Whisky horizon.
There's
3 Star - 3 Year
5 Star - 5 Year
Ani - 6 Year
Otborny - 7 Year
Akhtamar - 10 Year
Vaspurakan - 15 Year
Nairi - 20 Year
Erebuni - 30 Year
Collection Reserves - Dvin (10 Year) Armenia (10 Year, only sold in Armenia)
And on occasion they have sold a 70 Year - one sold at Sotheby's not that long ago for $120,000!
All Great!!
Otborny 7yo is actually almost as great as the 10yo version.
Actually I like the 7 slightly more!!
Thanks for the amazing review Ralfy,have you been to Armenia? It's a beautiful country and the oak barrels are from their mountains as you mentioned.Their wine is Devine as well. You should definitely go.
is it possible they added sugar? I know rums can do that from most places
"Ararat is in Turkey... at the moment." Ha! Good on you, Ralfy.
Thanks Ralfy. Seen this one show up on the shelves here (Israel) recently and was quite curious. I have a bit of thing for obscure brandies.
Agreed! Exploration is the joy of spirits!!!
I can only get the 5yr old in my area. I will have to give it a try some time. Brandy is my father's favourite go to drink.
Hello Ralfy! Thanks for the your channel. Russia with you!
Very interesting review, thanks
I just received one bottle of 10yo Springbank and one bottle of Tomintoul. I must say i got quite a pleasant surprise from the Tomintoul. Contrary to my expectation the Tomintoul came out on top in this duel. At least in this first tasting. I might change my opinion later down into the bottles but first impression is very convincing. Best dram so far this year of the few single malts I've tasted.
. . . and the Toms not too expensive either, it's one on my List !
I stumbled here , and I am a Welsh immigrant to America 🇺🇸 from the 1600s
Ironically today I bought my first Armenyack. I had my last sip of this 22+ yrs ago. I am normally a rum adventurer.
Armenyac
Thank you for the review Ralfy. If you have the chance, take a try of the Marie Duffau Armagnac Napolean...it's affordable and is quite a nice brandy, I'd like to know your feelings about it...
Picked up a bottle of the 20 yo Ararat Nairi today in Tallinn, Estonia. I'm sipping a dram right now and It's just stunningly good, fabulous stuff. Estonian price was 57 €/0,7 l. An absolute steal methinks.
. . . good price for a good Brandy !
Do you know of any reliable sellers in the uk ?
please do more brandy/cognac/armagnac reviews, cheers!
I've heard this was one of Churchill's favorite brandies.
Myth, rather than a fact. There is ZERO, evidence that Churchill, actually liked, or even, regularly drunk, Armenian brandy, but it sure makes for a nice story, hence its popularity. Churchill did however enjoy good brandies. After his death, the executer of his estate, discovered copious amounts of Hine cognac in Chartwell's cellar and receipts, that showed, Churchill regularly ordered and consumed Hine cognac. A great man, a great choice in cognac. Cheers.
@ralfydoctom I really enjoyed your review. very eye-opening. I'm here because I just tried the Ararat 5 year old and I tasted some slight smoky bitterness whereas I expected more sweetness. It is in fact very much like scotch. I have not yet tried many brandies (I have only tried the Georgian Sarajishvili) and thus I can't compare. Any thoughts anyone? Could a brandy have bitterness to it?
no sunday review this tym?
Hi Ralfy, are you planning to review Millstone whisky from The Netherlands anytime soon? Cheers (from NL)
The first second and I see more than half-empty bottle. Its very obvious you were enjoying this one Ralfy! :D
Also as for caramel, yeah it is there. I have small translated sticker with composition on the box and camarel is there and also sugar. I have seen quite a number of other brandy brands with added sugar, like some spanish de Jerez brandies.
Also you might find interesting to try some Georgian brandies like He-ry or even Sarajishvili, though I prefer Armenian production.
. . . thanks for the information.
Unfortunately, Ararat 10yo with caramel and shugar. But, for example, 20 yo whitout both.
Thank you for all of your reviews. What rum were you suggesting being good from Fiji? I was just there for 3 months. The rum that is everywhere is Bounty overproof, which I wasn't the biggest fan of. Granted I am more of a fan of El Dorado 15 year old, Angostura 1824 or B&B rum from Dominica. However, I will be going back to Fiji early next year, and I would like to try the rum you were talking about at the end of this review.
. . . Indi bottlings of Fijian rum are worth the effort.
That is some nice brandy after shoveling 100 pounds of snow off the driveway.
Ralfy, do you have a few good Brandy's to recommend now?
I'd really love to see you review Bermuda Black Seal Rum...if you like I'd gladly buy you a bottle and send it to you to review!
You should try the 20yr AS.
It is mind blowing for the price.
Hi Ralfy! Thanks for your awesome whisky reviews, they are very helpful. :) Could you review Macallan Sienna? Would very much like to hear your opinion about that one.
He won't review it because it has no age statement but if he did I'm guessing he would say something about how Macallan has disappointed in recent years and make a sad face. No one wants to see that.
I'm the other. I need to learn. Keep it up. and thanks.I always look for Ralfy Recommended.
Hi Ralfy, do you know Martell cognacs? Did you like any?
I just bought this one today.
0:59 L5 or V10?
Great stuff
Thank you for the vidéo
a link for the web shop would be nice :)
try "missionliquor dot com"
I looked up and found a bottle which is 5 years old at my local LCBO. It's okay, not as good as Stara Sokolova plum brandy from Serbia. Worth trying.
I'd love to hear your opinion on Torres 10 year brandy if you can get your hands on it.
gretchman , I'm not Ralfy but I was curious about a Spanish brandy and it was cheap... well, honestly, it's not even worth that. Spirity, full of caramel bitterness and not much else. Demoted to cooking duty. Torres 10 is not 10 years old minimum like Scotch but is 10 years on average. It's like a bad VS.
Well done.
You know your shit AND values, 'at the moment', very well put. Cheers.
You like dreak bro😄... Viva Arménian brandy✌🇫🇷🇦🇲
Well I'm not sure which group I fit into as I do tend to concentrate on single malt whisky from Scotland except on the festival of Pesach when I drink Kosher Brandy/Cognac. Last Pesach I bought two bottles of Kosher cognac. I compared the Louis Royer Cognac VSOP aganist the Dupuy Cognac XO and preferred the Luuis Royar at half the price!
Nevertheless, I did find your review very interesting and am always happy to see you enjoying something new even though I will not drink it for religious reasons. (Unlike grain based drinks, all grape based drinks must be certified kosher).
Have you heard the old saying from Rabbi Thumper that if you can't say something nice then don't say nothing at all? I live in Jerusalem, Israel. My friend, do you consider that Golus? I have found that from previous posts that people, Jews and Gentile alike, are interested in diverse perspectives and have had very positive responses to similer posts I have written in the past. I also get some lovely comments from gentiles on my kosher Whisky blog even though I write for strickly observant Jews. Please be a bit more tolerant.
..No I did not hear of it , .. was he talking about .. you?
Yes you live in Jerusalem ,where Kohanim bring Korbanos every day , even .. during the Gay pride Parade and Ramadan .
But .. I am happy , that you had some positive responses from around the world and I hope it's stay that way
+MITOSI BDIMOSI A.Y.Y.R.חבל על הזמן.
I assume you came to a RUclips whisky blog because you are interested in whisky? So what's your favourite malt? What is the last whisky you tried?
You have a point . The one I liked most , was Gordon and MacPhail version of 24 year old Caol lla . Which have a rich body , sweet and slight hint of pit . Last one I tried was Tomintoul 16 and Golani one year old . I must say I liked Golani a bit more than 16 year old Tomintoul ( I know ,it's two different whiskies ) .I guess , I liked the dry wine notes in it . Now , single malt occupies only half of my time , the other have belongs to my beloved .. bourbon :)
Your beloved bourbon huh? It must be difficult for you without your beloved on Pesach. Do you drink brandy or some other spirit over Pesach or just stick to a good wine?
How about some co-host review action in the future?
Just for the sake of tasting arguments. :)
If you think 10 yeah Akhtamar is good, wait until you try the 20 year Nairi Ararat! best 100 dollar bottle you will find anywhere!
Хороший коньяк по соотношению цена качество, до французов хо канечно далеко. Спасибо за обзор и привет из Сибири.🙋♂️
. . . и привет Сибири!
wow man that start
We notice when the usual Ralfy review doesn't come up.... Like Clockwork every Sunday.Hope you're doing OK!
That extra bit send me here, and the brandy ;)
A Buckfast review would be interesting on location within the Buckfast triangle. Airdrie, Coatbridge & Cumberland. 😋
. . . not sure it would get over 80/100 . . . infact 45/100 might be generous.
I just watched a review of a French Apple Brandy (Calvados) called Michel Huard. A blend of 17, 24 & 26 year-olds, sounds interesting, $50.
Ralfy, I was going to mention it to you earlier but forgot. You should look out for "Sarajishvili XO", Georgian brandy if you liked Arrat so much. The XO is blend of 18-30 years, it's full vaniilla & toffee, quality brandy in good price.
I am not sure if it's available in UK at all, I found it in local coop supermarket here in Poland, and it was a blind guess, but it's pretty tasty.
Sounds interesting, when I was in Turkey this year I tried an Armenian Brandy and it was okay, bought a couple of bottles of Raki too, have you tried that?
. . . Raki for me is an occasional event.
Yeah, me too, but, like Absinthe, it's always nice to have a bottle or two about.
Thanks for that Ralfy :)
Maybe one day we'll get to hear your thoughts on Ukrainian brandys like Tisa
winestyleonline.com/products/Tisa.html
Armenian brandy is extremely inexpensive here in the states-for the quality. There is a large Armenian population in California so there are a couple of liquor stores(that I know of) in California that have extensive varieties of Armenian brandy. I picked up Armenian Apricot Brandy 30yo and 45% abv for $30. The only quibble I have with the Armenian distillers is that most of the Brandy I've looked at is 40% abv. Very, very few are above the minimum 40%.
How certain are we that this doesn't have flavoring added to it?
. . . no certainties, but it's a fact that many cask matured spirits have 'flavour' added via previous content i.e. wine, rum, sherry, bourbon e.t.c. The influence varies considerably.
Any chance you will ever try Metaxa?
. . . yes, someday.
don't bother, horrible stuff.. plant infused brandy, why? And too sweet, it's really a liqueur.
nothing wrong with a brandy!!! taste is taste!!!yum
Wow, it's a high mark)
I need to try this with a cigar.
Unfortunately congac is never labeled as minimum age but a maximum age... it's a blend of distillates from 3-10 years old. Although even if XO, are regulated as 6 yo, producers claim that average age of blend that goes to the bottle is traditionally twice that. So ageing is a big pile of confusion in this realm.
Ararat being based in armenia... can use age labels as freely as they want... they really don't have anything akin to Whisky Association of Scotland to police production rules.
The long bitter aftertaste really spoils the experience for me in this drink.
must get this Mozes brandy...