WE DRINK COGNAC CORRECTLY

Guess from three times - in what city have started to make cognac?
In French? Well, it to guess easy. The city name to remember even easier. It - Cognak - also has entitled a favourite drink of our supervising elite.
All has begun in XII century when in small town Cognac made dry white wine which used the big popularity in the Great Britain and the Scandinavian countries. However, there were problems: by transportation wine often spoilt.
That it to avoid, wines began to distill and have received a concentrate having the big fortress at small volume. Having diluted with water this drink, it was possible to receive the first class wine again. But gradually to dilute have ceased and have passed to the use of the pure distillate called nowadays by cognac.

Now all of us know, that cognac is a strong spirit (40-60 volume % of spirit), made of коньячного the spirit received mainly by distillation of white dry grape wines, with its subsequent endurance in oak flanks not less than three years.
Whether but all from us know how correctly to accept cognac, to estimate all its advantages? About it more low.

We choose glasses

Cognacs can be drunk from spherical glasses, or glasses "tulip". This form allows to feel a bouquet of all aromas of cognac (grapes, a violet, a camomile and vanilla), and transparent glass - is better to see zolotisto-amber colour of a drink. Amazing taste and aroma of cognac is reached thanks to the tannin containing in wood oak бочек in which the drink is maintained.

With what to drink

Cognacs drink to or after meal. In the end of a dinner or a supper it offer to hot black coffee. To cognac submit the lemon cut by thin slices and chocolate.

To heat or not to heat?

Generally cognac to heat it is not accepted. It should be a room temperature, and is for this purpose warm enough your hand holding a glass. But if very much it would be desirable...
Many enough consider, that the warmed-up cognac possesses softer taste and special aroma. For this purpose at restaurants use a special torch with a candle. And in house conditions before filling glasses, hold each of them over a nouse of a boiling teapot.

Gradation on endurance

How not to become puzzled among abundance of the cognacs decorating regiments in wine departments of shops? Very simply: on labels you will see different inscriptions. They show, how cognac has long been sustained.

Import cognacs:
V.S. (Very Special) - 2.5 - 4.5 years;
V.S.O.P. (Very Special Old Pale) - 4 years
Napoleon - 7 - 15 years;
X.O. (Extra Old) - 15 - 25 years.

Domestic cognacs:
Age, or endurance of cognac designate asterisks. Cognacs which are maintained more than 5 years, on a label have no asterisks. It appropriate following marks:
KB - 6-7 years, 42 %;
КВВК - 8-10лет, 45 %;
КС - not less than 10 years, 43 %;
OS - more than 10 years.
Naturally, the cognacs having больший term of endurance are appreciated.