In the Steps of Churchill

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			In the Steps of Churchill The history has it that the first brandy distillery appeared in Armenia in 1887. Then first-guild merchant Nerses Tairyan built on the territory of the ancient castle Sardar Khana a small distillery and equipped it with devices for creating brandy under classical French technology. However, the enterprise reached its hey-day in 1898, when it was acquired by Nikolay Shustov, well-known in Russia vodka and liqueur producer and seller. Soon “Shustov and Sons” partnership became appointed supplier of His Imperial Majesty’s court. Although, Shustov’s brandy was officially acknowledged not only in Russia, but in France, too, when at the International Exhibition in Paris in 1900 after a blind tasting it got the Grand-Prix and the legal tight to be called ‘cognac’, not ‘brandy’. The brandy glory did not diminish in the Soviet time. It was incredibly popular with statesmen. Winston Churchill was known to be a great admirer of the ‘Armenian cognac’, he first tasted the drink at the Yalta conference. The British Prime-Minister ordered up to 400 bottles of brandy per year, stubbornly calling it “Shustov’s”, which made Stalin hit the roof. Agatha Christie and Frank Sinatra loved this brandy, too. ARARAT BRANDIES Yubileiny This blend was created in 1937 by M. Sedrakyan, a master blender who held the post of chief technologist at the Yerevan Brandy Factory. Yubileiny has a distinctive dark-golden colour, a subtle aroma with a hint of vanilla, dried fruits and spices, and a pleasant taste with a suggestion of caramel. In 2001 a special issue of the Yubileiny was made to mark the 1700th anniversary of Armenia’s conversion to Christianity. Dvin This brandy, named in honour of the ancient capital of Armenia, was first produced in 1943. The most legendary of its admirers was Sir Winston Churchill, who was given a bottle of Dvin by Stalin at the Yalta Conference. Despite its high alcoholic content, Dvin is unusually light due to its complex bouquet of vanilla tones, harmonious aroma of woody flavours with a strong hint of vanilla, suggestions of dried fruits and hazelnuts, and its fruity-caramel taste. Nairi From the 12th to the 8th centuries BC, Nairi was the ancient Armenian province of Mesopotamia, known as the Land of Nairi. The Nairi brandy contains 18-20 different eau-de-vie, the average age of which is twenty years. The brandy has subtle, smooth and noble aroma with a complex bouquet of spices, exotic fruits, nuts, honey, tropical woods and leather, and astonishingly smooth, subtle, enveloping and a little spicy (vanilla and pepper) taste with a noticeable, but not distracting sweetness with the flavour of walnuts. Punch Corona (Cuba) Dark, smooth, silky cigar that is slightly oily and tightly rolled. When unlit, has fairly weak, restrained and earthy aroma with hints of dry hay and fusty leaves, and a light floral scent. Burns fairly evenly at a moderate speed. Slightly hard to draw on with the burning end cone-shaped. Has a thick, grey ash. The cigar has salty-sweet, light taste. An uncomplicated aroma of earthy vegetation with floral tones and hints of cedar and ash. Fairly light cigar with prolonged aftertaste. Yubileiny Unlimited perfection In this combination, the brandy is largely dominant due to its energetic drive, but the cigar enriches its taste and improves its perception. The light texture of the brandy combines well with the lightness and smoothness of the cigar. And this combination stays on the palate in the aftertaste. Dvin Unexpected consiquences Poor combination. The brandy tries to outdo the cigar, which it finds a little too simple. Nairi Tyranny Not a good combination. The ‘alcoholic explosion’ instantly extinguishes the aroma of the cigar. Of the three possibles, the Yubileiny-Punch combination is the most successful, though it can scarcely be called ideal: a meeting between a relatively young brandy and a relatively simple cigar. Hoyo de Monterrey churchill (Cuba) Not-completely dark, oily cigar that is silky with a slight sheen. Tightly rolled. When unlit, has classical aroma with a suggestion of wood and a light hint of honey. Burns rapidly and evenly. The burning end is cone-shaped. A cigar draws well. Has a thick, grey ash. The taste is sweet with a slight bitterness. The aroma is rich in spices and earthy, woody shades with a taste of honey. Strong cigar with rich, prolonged aftertaste. Yubileiny Being embarassed Unsuccessful combination. Though the partners harmonize by virtue of their tastes, the brandy loses out in class. Apart from which, together they produce an excessive and therefore unpleasant bitterness. Dvin Fruitful marriage A good combination. It is a rare event when the combination of a cigar and a brandy result in the elimination of their respective negative qualities, leaving only their positive virtues. The cigar suppresses the aggression of the brandy, while at the same time emphasizing its taste qualities and revealing its subtleties. Nairi Productive dialogue Not a bad combination. The cigar assumes dominance and emphasizes the complex range of the brandy’s taste and the length of its aftertaste. The aromatic tones of the cigar and the brandy serve to compliment rather than compete with each other. A particular charm to the combination is given by the sweetness of the brandy being followed by the bitterness of the cigar. Preference in this combination must go to Dvin, although Hoyo de Monterrey combines well with Nairi. The choice depends on the aim: if the brandy is to dominate, Dvin should be chosen, but if it is the cigar that is to lead the way, then the choice would be Nairi. Montecristo No 2 (Cuba) Silky cigar with a light sheen. Not too tightly rolled. When unlit, has strong, bright aroma with a predominance of spices, and earthy and floral shades. It burns evenly with a moderate speed. The burning end is cone-shaped. The cigar is light and draws well. The ash is thick, dark-grey. The taste is slightly bitter. The aroma is fairly rich with a predominance of nutty flavours, in which walnut is particularly noticeable. Other scents may also be distinguished in the range of aromas: wood, earth, spices and chocolate. Strong cigar with prolonged, rich aftertaste. Yubileiny Mesalliance An interesting combination, but the aggressiveness of the brandy deadens the aroma of the cigar. The brandy is too straightforward and simple for a cigar like this, and furthermore, it gives it an added bitterness. Dvin Military operations An unsuccessful ‘aggressive’ combination. The strong brandy and the strong cigar fail to harmonize and result in conflict. The excessive alcohol content of the brandy instantly extinguishes the aftertaste of the cigar. Nairi Absolute idyl This combination of the complex aromas of a good cigar and a good brandy produces a very pleasant sensation that is close to harmony. The complex brandy is well supplemented by the heavyweight cigar. Of all the brandys here, Montecristo No 2 combines best with Nairi, particularly in respect of heaviness and complexity.