Fun fact. Ararat was the only brandy outside the Cognac region that could be called cognac for several decades. This happened because in 1900 Ararat won the Grand-Prix award in Paris, and the French judging committee was so impressed with its taste that they legally allowed the Yerevan Brandy company to call their product cognac. However, this law was revoked for commercial reasons after World War II...
Thanks Max! Great review! It's a smart idea to start with a youngest version to get the base flavors right. I'll be waiting for the take on 20y version of Ararat from you. One day ;)
Another awesome review. 3 yeas is not a long time to age a brandy. But weather in Armenia is much warmer than France and the aging happens faster. Just like Kavalan ages much faster than Scotch, because of the warmer weather. 1 year in Taiwan equals 4 ears in Scotland. A 5 year old whisky from Taiwan is as matured as a 20 year old scotch from Scotland, because the weather is warmer and the Angel's share is bigger.
Christian Ivanov hey Christian great point. This brandy was subtler than you’re average 3 year . It reminded me a lot of Metexa without as much sugar. I I’ve heard great things about the 15 year looking forward to reviewing it next. Cheers
Great review Max! Here in Ontario, we commonly get the 5 year old, and right now I can order an expensive ($188 Canadian) 15 year old through the LCBO online. I really like the 5 year old. As a whisky drinker I find it has some nice complexities that develop over time, or even with a few drops of water. It's a nice alternative and reasonably priced at 5 years old. BTW, it's pronounced AIR-a-rat. Thanks!
Hey, thanks for checking out the review! I was wondering out to pronounce the name! I heard the 15 year old cask strength version was phenomenal. As a whole the price point is great. The 3 and 5 year are definitely speaking value. Looking forward to reviewing the 15. Cheers
harrybhappy hey harry , it is my pleasure. I was pleasantly surprised by Armenian brandy. It was hard to get my hands on, but it was well worth the trouble. I am going to review the older expressions soon. I am curious to get your take on it. Cheers 🥂
A great review. I am sipping the Ararat Ani 6 years, as I watch this. Armenian brandy is a delight. A league of its own. I am not a huge fan of the younger expressions, but the older ones are worth trying.
I spent thanks for checking out the review. This three-year-old expression was incredibly smooth I’m looking forward to trying some of the older ones. Cheers
Hey Nathaniel, Thanks for checking out the review. I am looking forward to trying the 20 year! I heard the 15 cask strength was a treat as well! Cheers
Hey Rich, thanks for checking out the review. I have to agree. The Ararat is an incredible value for the quality. I am looking forward to picking up the cask strength 10-year expression next. Cheers!
Hey Bianca, thanks for the recommendation! I have been looking to try other brandies. I've had my eye on Torres Jamie 1. Do you have any thoughts on particular brands/bottlings I should look out for? Thanks again! Cheers
For a VS most of that color is likely E150 and Boisé. The French own the brand and they wrote the book on cosmetically fixing cheap Cognac. Still, could be worth trying. Price?
This bottle was relatively cheap ($20) but the Ararat is hard to find. For the price, I was pleasantly surprised. I am looking to pick up the 15-year cask strength bottling. The older expressions come highly recommended. It is definitely worth giving a try. Cheers
I agree, I am really curious about trying some of their expressions. A couple of years ago I was at a liquor store in Chicago and they had Ararat and also another Armenian brandy with bottle imitating it. It was Aratta XO 12 year and only $20, so I bought it. I liked it a lot initially (it was "smooth"). Having come back to it after some more experience and learning, I thought it was contrived and sweet, too dark to be natural color (so, full of E150 and boisé). Granted, I shouldn't judge Ararat by its look-alikes. But during the Soviet times Armenian cognac had both: a reputation for high quality cognac-style brand AND cheap surrogate swill. This goes for other Soviet-era "cognacs" (Georgia, Moldova, Dagestan, whatever). Most Russians still think that the elegant way of drinking cognac is with a slice of lemon (and in shots, like vodka). Truth is: what was available to most people back then was only fit to be drunk in shots and could definitely use a slice of lemon to mask the harshness. My hope is that quality controls are fairly stringent in the US market and that we get the real Ararat. I am really curious about trying it but at the same time weary of spending the money - given the values you can get from France. So I am cautiously curious. I have a friend from those parts who collects XO Cognac (real French cognac) and he also has some Armenian bottles. I once asked him if he thought there were good "cognacs" from Armenia and he said "yes, but you can't find them but in Armenia". I hope we can find something and I hope it's priced competitively compared to the real thing, otherwise I'd rather just buy single malt Scotch :)
Ha! It is hard to imagine enjoying a Cognac with a slice of lemon. Interesting food for thought! Ararat was a treat but it is definitely in a completely different category than Cognac. I also found it to be rather sweet yet refreshing at the same time. I typically frown on adding ice but I was tempted. They are certainly hard to come by but I will keep an eye out for some older Ararat expressions. Cheers!
no one from Alco fans not using lemon as a partner for cognac, but it depends on what's that person with you)) i know peoples who mixing Lagavulin with coke , btw about Ararat it's hard to get Ararat faked in Russian/Belorussia mostly Henessy from a backyard))
just try other "cognacs" from CIS/Russia like NOY(Armenia), Derbent (Russia), Kizlyar (Russia). 3,5,7 stars (stars mean years old) = VS/VSOP ; КВ/КВВК/КС = XO/XO+. in Russia average price fro КВ (6+ years old) is around 15$
Max Max hey thanks Max, the Noy is next. I have gained much respect for Armenian brandy after sampling the entry level Ararat. They are hard to find in the states, but I will certainly make it a point to obtain and review more expressions. Cheers
Hey Sig, thanks for checking out the review! I appreciate the input. I certainly agree with you to a certain extent, especially when it comes to whiskey. Personally, I love the intense, first impressions I get from a freshly cracked bottle. I did/do smoke on occasion... perhaps my senses are a bit muted. Cheers!
Can you also make a review of Sarajishvili cognac? Also, I would add on this that in Brooklyn, we can get any type of drinks from former soviet countries.
Hey JV thanks for the recommendation. I haven’t seen it around but I will look out for a bottle. You are fortunate. These bottlings are harder to find on the west coast unfortunately. Cheers
11onejay I hear you lol . The Fussigny is in the bag. I got it on ice for you. I am dropping the XO REMY tomorrow, and releasing the A De at the top of next week. I appreciate your patience and your recommendation. The “Selection” expression blew me out of the water. I can’t wait to get my hands on the Petite Champagne edition. Cheers 🍻
First of all thank for trying to inform the uninformed of what a term cognac entails. I have tried a 7 year old ararat and can't get past the artificial caramel colour taste, every other flavor for me is distant and difficult to quantify. Miguel Torres 15 Reserva thats 10% cheaper in Canada is a much superior brandy.
@@MaxsCognacReview I have tried Shabo and Aznauri from Ukraina and I'll say stay away from Ukrainian 'cognacs'. They are not compared to Armenia and Georgian brandies. Even Moldovan ones are better, but I do not think you will find them or any Ukraina brandy outside Ukraina or some east-European countries. Ararat is available widely only because it's now part-owned by Pernod Ricard.
Ok, so it considers as lowest in Ararat family (3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25 years), very basic I as may to say. Not so many youtube russian cognac explorers reviews 3 star , mostly start from 5 star's Ararat коньяк (cognac in russian, free to say and write on the bottles, french people don't upset as it is not on Latin). A star traditionally in Russia means a aged year. By said, everything really impressive in this family starts from 10 years (Ahtamar). P.S. and, funny, Ararat's accent goes with the end of a word;
Mike Mike hey mike thanks for checking out the review. Interesting info regarding Russia. I’ve heard great things about the 15 year 100 proof. Looking to review it next. Cheers
@@MaxsCognacReview Vaspurakan (15 y.o.) is definitely worth at least a look. Might be more likely to the people (as "I liked it , why to pay for more expensive stuff" opinion) then Nairi (20 y.o. Yes, they all got their names);
Fun fact. Ararat was the only brandy outside the Cognac region that could be called cognac for several decades. This happened because in 1900 Ararat won the Grand-Prix award in Paris, and the French judging committee was so impressed with its taste that they legally allowed the Yerevan Brandy company to call their product cognac. However, this law was revoked for commercial reasons after World War II...
Love the dudduk in the background.
I am a French fan of cognac, but honestly the Armenian brandy is above everything. Ararat bottle is above it all.
Thanks Max! Great review! It's a smart idea to start with a youngest version to get the base flavors right. I'll be waiting for the take on 20y version of Ararat from you. One day ;)
gucia1 Hey Gucci, thank you. I truly enjoyed this spirit. I can’t wait to explore the older expressions. Cheers!
Another awesome review. 3 yeas is not a long time to age a brandy. But weather in Armenia is much warmer than France and the aging happens faster. Just like Kavalan ages much faster than Scotch, because of the warmer weather. 1 year in Taiwan equals 4 ears in Scotland. A 5 year old whisky from Taiwan is as matured as a 20 year old scotch from Scotland, because the weather is warmer and the Angel's share is bigger.
Christian Ivanov hey Christian great point. This brandy was subtler than you’re average 3 year . It reminded me a lot of Metexa without as much sugar. I I’ve heard great things about the 15 year looking forward to reviewing it next. Cheers
Winston Churchill loved Armenian cognac
Winston Churchill had great taste! 🥂
@@MaxsCognacReview After all those stogies his tongue must of been like crispy bacon. He won the war...but lost his taste...
Great review Max! Here in Ontario, we commonly get the 5 year old, and right now I can order an expensive ($188 Canadian) 15 year old through the LCBO online. I really like the 5 year old. As a whisky drinker I find it has some nice complexities that develop over time, or even with a few drops of water. It's a nice alternative and reasonably priced at 5 years old. BTW, it's pronounced AIR-a-rat.
Thanks!
Hey, thanks for checking out the review! I was wondering out to pronounce the name! I heard the 15 year old cask strength version was phenomenal. As a whole the price point is great. The 3 and 5 year are definitely speaking value. Looking forward to reviewing the 15. Cheers
Thank you, I can’t wait to try it, I located a bottle here in Houston that I will pick up this week
harrybhappy hey harry , it is my pleasure. I was pleasantly surprised by Armenian brandy. It was hard to get my hands on, but it was well worth the trouble. I am going to review the older expressions soon. I am curious to get your take on it. Cheers 🥂
A great review. I am sipping the Ararat Ani 6 years, as I watch this. Armenian brandy is a delight. A league of its own. I am not a huge fan of the younger expressions, but the older ones are worth trying.
My grandparents brought some back in the mid 90's I mostly remember a smooth raisin taste from the one they had
I spent thanks for checking out the review. This three-year-old expression was incredibly smooth I’m looking forward to trying some of the older ones. Cheers
I’m glad you enjoyed! Cheers 🥂
Glad you brought back the ratings by the way;)
11onejay thanks for keeping me on it. The ratings are a must. Thank you
"goes down incredibly smooth" you got that right hoss
🥂
Im from Balkan i can say only It taste so super good i cant stop drink it ... my is 5 years old plus extra 15 i giveve it 100 of 100..for taste
try Ararat “Dvin” someday, it’s unique brandy.
You have to try the Duvin and the 20 year. They are amazing.
Hey Nathaniel, Thanks for checking out the review. I am looking forward to trying the 20 year! I heard the 15 cask strength was a treat as well! Cheers
Watched the 2020 film AK-47::Kalashnikov and they mentioned The Armenian Cognac
I recently cracked open my 50ml bottle of 18yo Armenian Brandy at 42%abv. It was awsome.
Nice find Pete! I am jealous! I am looking to get my hands on the 15 year 100 proof. Cheers
@@MaxsCognacReview don't be to jealous! 50ml is just mini sized! It was the Diamond brand. Sadly I've haven't seen that size again.
THANK YOU
Nice job :)
Thanks R C. It was pleasure to review. I am looking forward to trying the 15 year and the cask strength next! Cheers
I have a bottle of the 5yo stuff, and I have to say, it's dangerously good!
Philly Cheese Take I can image. The 3 year was incredible. I keep it hearing good thing about the 100 proof 15 year. Looking out for a bottle. Cheers
I got the 5 year for 30$ recently
Its my new "best buy" in regards to cheap brandies (nothing bad in the taste).
Hey Rich, thanks for checking out the review. I have to agree. The Ararat is an incredible value for the quality. I am looking forward to picking up the cask strength 10-year expression next. Cheers!
very expensive
Would you do a review on a Brandy de Jerez? I would love to hear your opinion on Cardenal Mendoza or Grand Duque D’Alba.
Hey Bianca, thanks for the recommendation! I have been looking to try other brandies. I've had my eye on Torres Jamie 1. Do you have any thoughts on particular brands/bottlings I should look out for? Thanks again! Cheers
Max's Cognac Review I heard Torres was good, but that Cardenal Mendoza was the best Brandy de Jerez. So far Cardenal Mendoza is my favorite.
Ok thank you! I will pick up a bottle next time I am out! Cheers
I’d say it’s even better than Hennessy
For a VS most of that color is likely E150 and Boisé. The French own the brand and they wrote the book on cosmetically fixing cheap Cognac. Still, could be worth trying. Price?
This bottle was relatively cheap ($20) but the Ararat is hard to find. For the price, I was pleasantly surprised. I am looking to pick up the 15-year cask strength bottling. The older expressions come highly recommended. It is definitely worth giving a try. Cheers
I agree, I am really curious about trying some of their expressions. A couple of years ago I was at a liquor store in Chicago and they had Ararat and also another Armenian brandy with bottle imitating it. It was Aratta XO 12 year and only $20, so I bought it. I liked it a lot initially (it was "smooth"). Having come back to it after some more experience and learning, I thought it was contrived and sweet, too dark to be natural color (so, full of E150 and boisé). Granted, I shouldn't judge Ararat by its look-alikes. But during the Soviet times Armenian cognac had both: a reputation for high quality cognac-style brand AND cheap surrogate swill. This goes for other Soviet-era "cognacs" (Georgia, Moldova, Dagestan, whatever). Most Russians still think that the elegant way of drinking cognac is with a slice of lemon (and in shots, like vodka). Truth is: what was available to most people back then was only fit to be drunk in shots and could definitely use a slice of lemon to mask the harshness.
My hope is that quality controls are fairly stringent in the US market and that we get the real Ararat. I am really curious about trying it but at the same time weary of spending the money - given the values you can get from France. So I am cautiously curious. I have a friend from those parts who collects XO Cognac (real French cognac) and he also has some Armenian bottles. I once asked him if he thought there were good "cognacs" from Armenia and he said "yes, but you can't find them but in Armenia". I hope we can find something and I hope it's priced competitively compared to the real thing, otherwise I'd rather just buy single malt Scotch :)
Ha! It is hard to imagine enjoying a Cognac with a slice of lemon. Interesting food for thought! Ararat was a treat but it is definitely in a completely different category than Cognac. I also found it to be rather sweet yet refreshing at the same time. I typically frown on adding ice but I was tempted. They are certainly hard to come by but I will keep an eye out for some older Ararat expressions. Cheers!
Citrus is bartender's oldest trick in the book, hence all the old fashioned cocktails - just hiding bad quality booze with citrus and sweetness😎
no one from Alco fans not using lemon as a partner for cognac, but it depends on what's that person with you)) i know peoples who mixing Lagavulin with coke , btw about Ararat it's hard to get Ararat faked in Russian/Belorussia mostly Henessy from a backyard))
just try other "cognacs" from CIS/Russia like NOY(Armenia), Derbent (Russia), Kizlyar (Russia). 3,5,7 stars (stars mean years old) = VS/VSOP ; КВ/КВВК/КС = XO/XO+. in Russia average price fro КВ (6+ years old) is around 15$
Max Max hey thanks Max, the Noy is next. I have gained much respect for Armenian brandy after sampling the entry level Ararat. They are hard to find in the states, but I will certainly make it a point to obtain and review more expressions. Cheers
✌🇫🇷🇦🇲
🥂
Magnifique...
這首背景音樂我喜歡
不知道曲名是？
讓我想起懷念的伊朗傳統音樂
Thank you ruclips.net/video/y5tcbD5in7k/видео.html
Are you eating the cognac instead of drinking lol
They actually have 5,10 and 20 years, perhaps more
They have 7 years too which I bought from Armenia.
Why not let it open up before reviewing it? Brandy and Cognac change considerably on the nose and mouth when given time to breathe.
Hey Sig, thanks for checking out the review! I appreciate the input. I certainly agree with you to a certain extent, especially when it comes to whiskey. Personally, I love the intense, first impressions I get from a freshly cracked bottle. I did/do smoke on occasion... perhaps my senses are a bit muted. Cheers!
Thanks for the reviews!
Can you also make a review of Sarajishvili cognac? Also, I would add on this that in Brooklyn, we can get any type of drinks from former soviet countries.
Hey JV thanks for the recommendation. I haven’t seen it around but I will look out for a bottle. You are fortunate. These bottlings are harder to find on the west coast unfortunately. Cheers
@@MaxsCognacReview agree with J V, try Sarajishvili 5* or VSOP if you can find it in your land.
Over here sipping some tequila to this max :( The kelt didn't last very long. I really want to ball out for the a de fussigny xo.
11onejay I hear you lol . The Fussigny is in the bag. I got it on ice for you. I am dropping the XO REMY tomorrow, and releasing the A De at the top of next week. I appreciate your patience and your recommendation. The “Selection” expression blew me out of the water. I can’t wait to get my hands on the Petite Champagne edition. Cheers 🍻
First of all thank for trying to inform the uninformed of what a term cognac entails. I have tried a 7 year old ararat and can't get past the artificial caramel colour taste, every other flavor for me is distant and difficult to quantify. Miguel Torres 15 Reserva thats 10% cheaper in Canada is a much superior brandy.
Apricot notes almonds
🥂
One word for you..... Shakmat. Give it a try, maybe the best you ever had.
Hey Hye, thanks for the recommendation! I will certainly look out for it! Cheers
Truenas mucho la boca mi amigo y eso esta mal, solo corrige.
Ukrainian cognac is also very good
Thank you, I'd like to give it a try. Do you have any specific bottle recommendations?
@@MaxsCognacReview I have tried Shabo and Aznauri from Ukraina and I'll say stay away from Ukrainian 'cognacs'. They are not compared to Armenia and Georgian brandies. Even Moldovan ones are better, but I do not think you will find them or any Ukraina brandy outside Ukraina or some east-European countries. Ararat is available widely only because it's now part-owned by Pernod Ricard.
Ok, so it considers as lowest in Ararat family (3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25 years), very basic I as may to say. Not so many youtube russian cognac explorers reviews 3 star , mostly start from 5 star's Ararat коньяк (cognac in russian, free to say and write on the bottles, french people don't upset as it is not on Latin). A star traditionally in Russia means a aged year. By said, everything really impressive in this family starts from 10 years (Ahtamar). P.S. and, funny, Ararat's accent goes with the end of a word;
Mike Mike hey mike thanks for checking out the review. Interesting info regarding Russia. I’ve heard great things about the 15 year 100 proof. Looking to review it next. Cheers
@@MaxsCognacReview Vaspurakan (15 y.o.) is definitely worth at least a look. Might be more likely to the people (as "I liked it , why to pay for more expensive stuff" opinion) then Nairi (20 y.o. Yes, they all got their names);
Its not brendy ...
Brandy by definition is a fruit distilled spirit. It is not a Cognac but it is distilled with grapes. Cheers