Armenian company Ararat's high quality 5 year old offering.
This brandy is made with local grapes, grown in the microclimate of the Ararat Valley. Ararat uses some grapes which can no longer be found outside of Armenia, and are survivors of the devastating phylloxera blight. In total, the spirit is made with 13 different varieties of grape, but the main flavour providers are Garan Dmak, Voskehat and Kangun grapes.
After harvest, each grape varietal is pressed individually, in a special horizontal screw, which gently presses the grapes to avoid crushing their seeds, which would adulterate the flavour.
Ararat is double distilled before being aged for five years in oak casks. Ararat take their casks very seriously, maintaining an onsite cooperage, and using the unusually tightly grained local Armenian oak. Trees are only made into barrels once they've reached 70 years old.
The brandy provides notes of vanilla, sweet oak, dried fruits, grapes, toasted nuts, cinnamon, cloves, orange rind, peppery spice, rose and honeysuckle.
A well balanced and mature brandy, this is an excellent alternative to more expensive Cognacs.
