Creation of ARARAT

The multifaceted taste of the legendary drink is born in
the unity of human talent and the generosity of nature.

GENEROSITY of nature

The path of ARARAT brandies begins in the Ararat valley bathed in the generous Armenian sun and the Tavush mountain region, which is famous for its forests and incredibly clean air.

The differences in the climate of these places are so strong that the grapes of one variety grow completely different in taste. The specific relief, the abundance of warmth and light, the variety of soils determine the character of the berries and future ARARAT brandies. We can say that the nature of Armenia has made us the most valuable gift.

LOCAL grapes

The whole secret of ARARAT brandies is in the sun, soil and water of Armenia

Markar Sedrakyan
Renowned Master of Blending

For the brandy production, we purchase exclusively local white grape varieties, including such rare ones as Garandmak and Voskehat. They make the taste and aroma of ARARAT brandies absolutely special.

Harvesting takes only a few weeks and begins when the berries have reached the right sugar level. Farmers select the best bunches by hand.

We carry out the acceptance procedure at the plant 24 hours a day: the grapes are weighed; their quality is checked. Only then does it end up in pneumatic presses. Thanks to the delicate pressing, we are able to preserve the rich aroma of berries and get grape juice. After a week, as a result of natural fermentation, the juice turns into a high-quality white wine material, which is necessary for further distillation of brandy alcohol.

The technology of creating
a perfection

All stages of production are thought out in detail so that in the end the brandy gets its impeccable taste.

DOUBLE distillation

Distillation is a delicate and complex process of distilling the wine spirit, thanks to which the wine material turns into brandy alcohol.

In accordance with the technological standard of brandy production, our wine material goes through two stages of distillation: primary and secondary, fractionated distillation. As a result of the first distillation, crude alcohol with a strength of up to 32 ° is obtained. We send it for secondary distillation, during which it is divided into three fractions: “head”, “heart” and “tail”. The basis of ARARAT brandies is only the “heart” — the purest, thinnest and most delicate fraction of brandy spirit.

HEART of alcohol

The creation of brandy is a constant extraction of the best from the best.

Hamlet Antonyan
Head of Production

A special charm to brandy spirits is given by the steam distillation, which we employ at the Yerevan Brandy Company: this technology is more complex and time-consuming in comparison with the classic distillation over an open fire, but it is this technology that allows the brandy spirit to adopt all the taste qualities of local grape varieties unchanged.

Created by time

Aging is a complex process that takes many years. Time and knowledge, involvement and sincere love for one’s work are very important here.

HOUSE for brandy

We use Caucasian oak wood in the manufacture of our casks.

Only trees over 70 years old become the basis for the casks; it takes several more years to prepare rivets and assembling — each cask is made by hand in our own cooperage.

Due to the special structure of Caucasian oak, the spirits of future ARARAT brandy acquire their unique character with pronounced tones of dried fruits, spices, vanilla and chocolate.

CHARACTER of ageing

The aging workshop is a special place. This is where the real magic happens: the future Armenian brandy is born in the union of brandy alcohol and a cask

Artem Jragatspanyan
Head of the Aging Department

The finished cask is transferred to the ageing workshop, where it is filled with spirit. It will spend from three years to half a century or even longer there, enriched with various shades of color, taste and aroma. Although much of the process is hidden from view, we constantly monitor the temperature and conditions in which the barrel is located, and also periodically take samples. In many ways, the experience passed on by previous generations of masters allows us to determine what the properties of alcohol will be like in decades.

Finding a multifaceted taste

Each brandy alcohol has its own nuances in color, aroma and taste palette, that are important to consider when creating a blend.

ART of blending

The culmination of the brandy creation, the blending, is the most creative and responsible process in the entire chain, that is based on inspiration and genuine craftsmanship.

A blend is a mixture of brandy spirits of different ages and from different grape varieties. When blending them, masters deal with a complex palette of tastes and aromas. Creating a new blend, they can work with more than 700 types of spirits.

Alcohols of the same age can have different organoleptic properties: from color to aroma and taste palette. The weather conditions under which the grapes ripened, the characteristics of the casks where the aging took place — these and many other factors affect the alcohols’ characteristics. Our task is to choose a harmonious combination of alcohols that can reveal the only true taste of each of the ARARAT brandies.

SECRETS of the masters

Brandy blending requires spiritual and physical balance: when you can concentrate on your work, you create a perfect product

Vardan Harutunyan
Master-blender

Water plays a special role in blending — for ARARAT brandies we use water from the Katnakhbyur natural source, it is able to perfectly reveal the character and taste of the drink. The idea to use such water instead of the usual distilled water belongs to Markar Sedrakyan, the legendary master of blending. We send the finished blend back to oak casks to “rest”, during that time the spirits adapt to each other and become a single whole — the legendary ARARAT brandy. All that remains is to bottle it.

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