The color of cognac is rich, amber. I do the first check in an original way. I bring the cut of the glass to my eyes to determine the alcohol content. If it stings your eyes to the point of tears, then this is a very alcoholic drink, if not to say that it contains too many other volatile fractions of the distillate, including vinegar. At the same time, you can hear the first aroma of the unbreathed drink, by which you can determine whether the drink is worth trying at all. This first breath is very important to me. Despite his five-year age, there was a slight tingling of the mucous membrane of the eyes, but not critical. I found the smell pleasant. So cheerful and invigorating.
The drink stood in the snifter for about five minutes, and I decided to taste it. The first sip was easy for me, with it I realized that this was a quality drink and it was worth continuing tasting further. As I exhaled I felt a complex floral bouquet. The first impressions from the tasting frankly surprised me. I expected the worst. After about 40 minutes, I finally appreciated the whole bouquet and taste of this cognac. What set it apart from other equally reputable drinks I've ever enjoyed was its bright, floral scent. I would say this - it’s not the smell of wild or meadow flowers, it’s when a lush flower bed from some greenhouse hits you. Not a drink. A kind of peacock of the cognac world.
The aftertaste slowly disappears, pleasant, already with a smell weighed down by fermented pear, cherry plum, prunes, raisins and evoking a desire to continue the suddenly emerging holiday.
Conclusion. Cognac “Old Russian Oak”, in my humble opinion, is one of the best representatives of Russian cognacs, but I find it difficult to find any special differences from other Phanagorian cognacs. These are very subtle shades of taste, the intensity of the notes of its original aroma. A little harsh on the first sips, then this harshness disappears. Recommended by me.
Consumer review of five-year-old Russian cognac “Old Russian Oak”
The aroma is sweet, moderately alcoholic with marmalade dessert tones. Cognac is as easy to drink as its three-year-old brother. In taste, sweetness comes first, then... And then it’s difficult to highlight anything. Somewhere far away there are subtle undertones in which something can be imagined and possible, but it will be difficult to clearly feel, but I will try. Along with the sweet tones, I detected vanilla and nutty-coffee notes. The body is more velvety and, as expected, not as hard as that of a three-year-old, which has a positive effect on drinkability. At the same time, alcohol content is present.
The taste is sharp, the oak notes are very strong; alcohol-oak taste. Marketers call this masculine taste. The aftertaste is bitter; notes of oak. Classic Russian everyday cognac. Sweetish, easy to drink, without deep nuances. At the current price it can compete with a wide range of, so to speak, “table” drinks. No better and no worse, quite suitable for purchase and use.
Consumer review of five-year-old Russian cognac “Old Russian Oak”
We decided to try the bastard “Old Russian Oak” 5* from “Fanagoria”. I liked the previous sample – “Fanagoria” 5*. This one is simpler, but also not bad. In principle, I don’t like hard cognacs. This one turned out to be soft, round in aroma and taste; chocolate, dried fruits, vanilla. "Ladies'" option, as it seemed.
Consumer review of five-year-old Russian cognac “Old Russian Oak”
Probably the best domestic cognac. In my opinion, everything is balanced in this cognac. There are no strong tastes or smells. I’m not a sommelier, I don’t know how to describe tones, but I like that it doesn’t smell like alcohol, and my nose “hover” over the glass :)
Consumer review of five-year-old Russian cognac “Old Russian Oak”
The body is velvety. The color of cognac is amber, crystal clear. The aroma contains grapes and raisins (and my brother also found green apples in the aroma). In addition to the grape-raisin dried fruit tones, the aroma contains a certain floral-perfume component; somewhere in the distance there are woody and vanilla shades. The taste easily reveals grape, some dark fruit, and oak tones. The barrel in the form of tannic-tannin shades, together with sweet vanilla and nutty-coffee notes, makes up the flavor canvas of “five-year-old Russian oak.”
At the same time, alcohol content is present. Spicy peppery and very long aftertaste. The drink is quite easy to drink. True, in order to savor cognac while sitting in front of the fireplace (or TV), you should not buy it, but to accompany holiday table snacks, this cognac is very good!!!) The drink does not evoke any negative emotions, although it does not evoke any delightful ones, but still, as for me, this is much better than what is sold under the name “Russian cognac”, you can safely drink this one!
Review source: @edvardvetrov
Review of a wine blogger about five-year-old Russian cognac “Old Russian Oak”
Harmonious, “warm” aroma of medium intensity. Notes of dried apricots, raisins, dried pears and apples, vanilla, oak notes, soft hints of spice and leather. Friendly taste with a fruity-spicy dominant, complemented by notes of coffee, Möller toffee, and vanilla. Long aftertaste with light burning overtones.
General impression. A harmonious, but slightly heavy sample with an emphasis on sweetish spicy oak shades.
All elite alcoholic drinks from a good manufacturer have a mandatory aging period, which affects the quality of the finished product and, of course, its taste. Let's find out how to infuse moonshine yourself if there is no special barrel nearby, and learn the secrets of experienced moonshiners.
What's the difference
Experienced masters of the alcohol business know the answer to this question; there are several advantages:
Oak bark, thanks to the absorbent properties of wood, helps absorb all harmful substances and aldehydes remaining after the distillation process, which have a detrimental effect on the body;
In addition to the fact that oak bark binds all compounds hazardous to health, it also has an excellent aroma, which means the drink is soft in taste and pleasant to the nose;
Homemade high-quality moonshine made with oak bark helps treat a large number of different diseases and, of course, prevent them. Its recipe requires some knowledge about the quality and composition of the required raw materials.
What should oak bark be like?
Moonshining is a difficult process in itself and requires some skills. Professionals in this business know how to infuse moonshine on oak bark correctly, and share their secrets with beginners:
- You need to infuse moonshine for a certain amount of time, otherwise the taste will become bitter and the color will darken.
- It is better to prepare oak bark for preparing the drink yourself, but you can also purchase it at a special store for distillers or at a pharmacy. Additional boiled or burnt bark will give the moonshine a beautiful amber color, and the aroma will clearly have notes of prunes, smoke or vanilla.
- A drink aged in real water will differ significantly in its chemical composition, and every year it gets better and better; this cannot be said about cognac made from moonshine. At home, the recipe does not require such a long aging and such conditions, but it significantly improves the taste and color of the drink, making it cleaner and healthier.
We will prepare the raw materials ourselves
If you can’t purchase high-quality oak bark, you can visit the nearest forest; these raw materials will be even better and more proven than purchased ones.
- It is important to know that young oak bark, saturated with a large number of useful substances, is especially good for such purposes. And you can find it on old trees, or more precisely, on their young branches and shoots. The optimal time for collecting the raw materials we need is spring, when all the plants wake up, renew themselves and are filled with fresh juice.
- Removing the bark is simple: you need to make transverse cuts on the branch in the right places and one along it, and then, using a knife to pick up the edge of the cut, remove the bark completely in a circle.
- Outwardly, such pieces of raw material extracted from young branches resemble long thin tubes. It is in this state that we leave them to dry in a dry, well-lit place. Direct sunlight and moisture reduce the beneficial properties of the product. To get truly high-quality moonshine from oak bark, the recipe and its entire sequence must be strictly followed.
Oak tincture
An infusion of moonshine on oak bark is very similar in taste to good cognac. Having already mastered this recipe, you can add various herbs and spices to it, improving the taste of the drink and giving it originality. Experienced moonshiners show their imagination to the fullest, experimenting with coriander, St. John's wort, cloves, pepper, oregano and other aromatic ingredients. For now, we will look at the basic recipe for the tincture, the main components for which are:
Harvested or purchased oak bark - two tablespoons;
Moonshine (decide on the degree yourself) - two liters;
Homemade honey, preferably fresh - half a glass.
Classic recipe
Connoisseurs of high-quality alcoholic beverages have long debated whether it is possible to infuse moonshine on oak bark. They do not like the taste of such a tincture too much, considering it a little harsh, but it is certainly better than ordinary moonshine, and some of the harmful substances are absorbed bark, which is a definite plus. And the tincture is prepared simply:
Oak bark is poured into the bottom of a clean container (you can use a regular three-liter bottle for this purpose);
It is filled with the required amount of moonshine;
Now you can close it with a lid and put it in a cool place to settle, or you can experiment and add some of the above herbs.
You can decide how long to infuse moonshine on oak bark yourself by periodically checking its color and taste. But experienced masters of this business recommend keeping the mixture for no more than two weeks, and then straining it and pouring it into pre-prepared bottles.
Mandatory preparation of moonshine
A homemade drink made with oak bark can significantly spoil the high content of fusel oils found in unrefined moonshine. Therefore, before starting to prepare tincture or cognac from it, it is recommended to filter it. You can do this in several ways:
- Using potassium permanganate.
- Milk.
- Activated carbon
- Freezing method.
Experienced moonshiners consider the last method to be the simplest and most accessible. Before infusing moonshine on oak bark, place the container with it in the freezer. Water will freeze to the walls of the vessel, and with it most of the fusel oils; the remaining liquid can be drained and made from it at home.
Homemade cognac recipe
An important condition here will be a special container for making the drink. It’s best if it’s wooden, and it’s very good if it’s oak, but if you don’t have something like that on hand, you can take enamel or glassware. Most often, when preparing a drink at home, ordinary five- or three-liter jars are used, and plastic lids are used to seal them.
Sugar is heated in a clean enamel bowl; it is important to darken it to a golden color, but not burn it, which will spoil the taste of the future cognac;
The resulting mass must be carefully poured into moonshine and stirred until it is completely dissolved;
To improve the taste of the drink, cloves, vanilla, nut partitions, caraway seeds and oak bark are added to it;
To make the drink more similar to cognac, knowledgeable moonshiners add a little citric acid to it, after which the container is tightly sealed and sent to a cool place to settle;
You can try the drink after five days, but it is better to wait a period of three to four weeks. Note that the richness of the taste and aroma of such homemade cognac depends entirely on how to infuse the moonshine on oak bark, and over time its beneficial properties will only increase. improve.
The bark is the most important aspect
The finished cognac is passed through a filter, cleaned of small particles in it and poured into beautiful bottles in which it can be stored for many years. His recipe is based on oak bark, so you should be very careful in its preparation and selection. It is thanks to it that the drink receives its rich aroma, taste and a lot of useful properties, for which we are so deeply loved by true connoisseurs of this product. All other spices are added to its composition to taste.
Not all moonshiners have the opportunity to buy or store an oak barrel for aging alcoholic beverages. This problem is solved by infusing the distillate on pharmaceutical oak bark or specially made wood chips that imitate the soaking and firing of a barrel. We will consider both options.
Any grain, fruit or sugar moonshine is suitable for infusion. Tannins contained in bark and wood, upon contact with ethyl alcohol, are converted into environmentally friendly substances that change the color, taste and smell of even ordinary moonshine for the better. Depending on the characteristics of the wood and the aging time, notes of fruit, vanilla, flowers, and chocolate appear in the drink.
Moonshine on oak bark
A simple and quick way to refine the distillate, which does not require large time and material costs. The result is a soft tincture with a characteristic cognac scent.
Ingredients:
- moonshine (45-50%) – 3 liters;
- oak bark - 3 tablespoons;
- honey – 1 tablespoon;
- cloves – 5 buds;
- allspice – 10 peas;
- St. John's wort – 1 tablespoon;
- oregano – 1 tablespoon;
- vanillin and coriander - on the tip of a knife.
You can infuse moonshine only on oak (bark), without adding other ingredients. But then the taste will be harsh and the smell will be too strong. I advise you to buy bark and other herbs at a pharmacy, where the quality is at least somehow controlled.
1. Place seasonings and oak bark in a glass container, pour in moonshine, mix well and close tightly with a lid.
2. Leave for 14-16 days in a dark place at room temperature, shake once every 3-4 days.
3. Filter the tincture through cheesecloth and a cotton filter. For complete transparency, 3-4 filtration may be needed. Then pour into bottles for storage and seal tightly with stoppers.
4. Before use, soak the finished oak moonshine for 10-12 days, then the taste will noticeably improve.
Tincture on oak bark Moonshine on oak wood (chips)
A more successful imitation of distillate aging in barrels than the first method, but it requires careful preliminary preparation and long infusion. First, the wood must be freed from excess tannins that spoil the taste. This is done by soaking followed by heat treatment.
Chip harvesting technology:
1. Chop dry logs without bark into pegs 2x2 cm and up to 10 cm long (approximate dimensions).
2. Soak the resulting wood chips in cold water for a day, changing the water every 8 hours.
3. Pour the soaked oak pegs with an aqueous solution of soda (1 tablespoon of soda per 5 liters of water) and leave for 6 hours.
4. Drain the solution and rinse the wood chips well under running water.
5. Place the pieces in a saucepan, add water, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 45-50 minutes.
6. Drain the broth and rinse the wood again with cold water.
7. Dry the wood chips in the air (preferably in the attic) until completely dry (at least two days).
8. Place the pieces on a baking sheet and place in a preheated oven (140-160°C) for 2 hours until a light blush appears.
9. Store the finished wood chips in a dry, warm place (should not become damp).
Oak wood can be replaced with apple or cherry wood. The method for obtaining wood chips does not change.
Infusion:
1. Fry the previously prepared wood chips on the grill of an oven or microwave. The notes of smell and taste depend on the degree of firing. Light roasting (at the moment of the first smoke) gives the drink a subtle hint of vanilla, fruit and flowers. Medium roasting (smoke and smell appears) introduces the aroma of coconut, caramel, almonds, and spices. Strong firing (the wood begins to change color) imbues the moonshine with a smoky taste with chocolate undertones (like Scotch whiskey).
During the roasting process, the main thing is not to burn the wood chips. For the first time, I advise you to practice on a small amount so as not to spoil all the wood.
2. Add oak chips to moonshine (45-50%) at the rate of 20-30 grams per liter and close the lid tightly. Infuse in a dark, cool place for 3-6 months (on average). Gradually the color will change. Take a sample every week, monitoring the organoleptic properties of the drink. The duration of aging depends on the properties of the selected wood and your preferences in taste and aroma; sometimes even 15 days is enough.
A barrel as a container is one of the oldest inventions of mankind. And, undoubtedly, the most important discovery in the history of cognac. Without the barrel, the great Cognac would have remained one of hundreds of eau-de-vies in France, the names of which could only mean something to local residents and subtle connoisseurs of “rural” distillates...
Oak poetry
Unlike wine, cognac does not “live” outside the barrel. Once poured into glass containers, the noble drink seems to freeze, forever fixing the unique combination of qualities given to it by the year and region of the harvest, as well as many years of aging. And, of course, by the art of Maitre de Chais, who creates this combination. The work of a cognac master is close to the work of a composer - by combining the “bass” of oak and the “high notes” of alcohols, he can create the most complex symphony of aroma and taste.
If we get away from romantic analogies, oak wood is, first of all, intended to convey light alcohol, in which nature contains floral and fruity aromas, shades of aging - vanilla, chocolate, leather, etc. In addition, the barrel gives the cognac the opportunity to mature and develop, slowly oxidizing in the process of interaction with oxygen penetrating the pores of the oak wood.
Accordingly, when choosing a suitable wood for a barrel, the porosity and chemical composition of the wood are of great importance: it must contain optimal amounts of lignins, which are responsible for the aromatics, as well as tannins and tannins, which are involved in creating the “body” and color of cognac.
Winemakers and large barrel manufacturers today are actively experimenting with different types of oak. For example, American oak is widely used for aging wines. In Russia, Caucasian oak, or Apsheron oak, has become widespread. By the way, it is also purchased in small quantities by famous French cooperage firms, for example Seguin Moreau, located in the heart of the Cognac region.
And yet, in the centuries that have passed since the discovery of aging wine spirits, nothing better for this purpose than French oak, growing in the ancient forests of Tronçais and Limousin, has been found. Wood from Tronçais produces wood with more fine pores and smoother lignins and tannins. It is often used for primary aging of alcohols. Oaks from Limousin have coarser-grained wood, more saturated with chemical compounds important for cognac. This oak requires especially respectful treatment when making a barrel. For example, under no circumstances should it be sawed - only split on an archaic machine, reminiscent of a guillotine, and only at a certain angle. Otherwise, the barrel will leak due to the high porosity of the wood. In addition, new Limousin wood barrels are used with great care so as not to oversaturate the spirits with initially bright tannins.
The French carefully protect these two legendary forests. After all, only old oaks, at least 40 years old, are suitable for the production of barrels. In practice, the wood of hundred-year-old, or even two-hundred-year-old “forest patriarchs” is considered to be of the highest quality. Every year, a large cognac house cuts down about 3,000 of these huge trees for its needs, but for each cut down it plants three new ones.
Not the entire trunk is used for cooperage. On average, one large tree produces 3-4 barrels. However, in France the attitude towards oaks is very reverent, and not a single piece of wood is wasted. What is not suitable for barrels is used for the production of furniture, building materials or fuel for firing future cognac containers.
"Birth Pangs"
So, the middle part of the trunk is split into boards - future oak staves, which will later make up the walls of the barrels. They are then stacked in huge piles right in the open air. In this form they will have to spend many months in the rain and wind. Moreover, the “unfortunate” boards are also periodically irrigated with water. All this is done in order to change the chemistry of the oak, smoothing and oxidizing aggressive tannins and allowing lignins and other aromatic substances to open up, which are destined to appear in the cognac in the future.
At large cooperage production sites for aging oak boards in the open air, they occupy several hectares. They are equipped with their own weather station to control the movement of air flow and humidity in different parts of the field. It looks truly impressive!
At the end of the aging cycle, the boards are dried in closed hangars, then they are planed, eliminating the scary dark coating that appears under the influence of weather conditions. Then trapezoidal rivets are made from the boards, which are selected into “sets” for the future barrel. Today, all this is done using automation. And a hundred years ago, a difficult task - to determine by eye whether the rivets would fit into an even barrel, without the slightest cracks - could only be solved by the professional instinct of a cooper. And, I must say, it turned out no worse.
The selected rivets are folded and tied on one side with hoops, obtaining the so-called “rose”. This “flower” will undergo an extremely important operation - firing, which will help it acquire its unique aroma. The barrel blank is placed on a metal cylinder, inside which pieces of the same oak wood from which the barrel is assembled burn hot - various trimmings and “production waste”. The process is very organic and somewhat reminiscent of distillation. The same intense attention to the process, the same search for the “golden mean”, when natural vanillin and other aromatic compounds beneficial to cognac are released from wood lignins under the influence of flame.
The bottoms for the barrels are prepared separately. Moreover, not a single gram of glue or a single nail is used in production. Any foreign element will certainly transfer shades to the sensitive wine spirit. The tightness of the barrel is achieved by carefully adjusting the rivets and other “old-fashioned” methods. They say that even large cooperages still use “sealants” such as bread dough or dry leaves of reeds growing on the banks of the Charente River. During the firing process, the wood becomes not only fragrant, but also more flexible. This makes it easier to tighten it with a second pair of hoops.
An almost finished barrel with hammered bottoms is polished on special machines and then checked for leaks. To do this, it is filled with boiling water and “tormented” for a long time on a test bench. If after such a shake there is even a drop of liquid left on the floor, the barrel is rejected.
The finished “barriques” at the Seguin Moreau cooperage are branded with the symbol of the customer company, carefully packaged in film and thick cardboard and sent to customers all over the world. The bulk of cognac barrels remain in their homeland. The cooperage was originally founded as a branch of one of the largest cognac houses and has retained its specialization. Only by special orders from cognac houses does Seguin Moreau make super barrels - huge containers for blending spirits three times the height of a man. The process of making them is a bit like building a house.
The KiN Group also orders barrels from this world-famous manufacturer. Now, for example, spirits from the 2008 harvest from Domaine de Broy are already being aged in new barrels from Seguin Moreau. Gaining “wisdom”, the shades donated by the land of the great Grande Champagne are gradually enriched with noble tones of aging.
Cognac barrel. Biography facts
- 1549 - the first mention in sources: in the port books of La Rochelle, the fact of sending several dozen oak barrels with cognac to England was recorded.
- It turns out that some of the known “angels’ share” is “drinked” by the barrel itself. The wood of a new barrel, according to the latest data, can absorb up to 1% alcohol. The old one, less “greedy”, absorbs about 0.4% of alcohols.
- The cognac barrel has many names. In Cognac, according to a long tradition, it is called “fûts”, although many winemakers use the universal term “barrique”. In some cognac houses, huge barrels for blending or slow aging of alcohol are called “foudres”. And old barrels have long been called “red” (roux).
- There are no two absolutely identical barrels. This old thesis is true throughout. Even the capacity of barrels made by one craftsman varies quite significantly - from 350 to 400 liters. What to do, handmade.
- Surprisingly, the image of a barrel as a heraldic symbol did not take root in the Cognac region. Not a single coat of arms of famous cognac houses, or even the city itself, has a barrel.
Alcohol infused with oak chips has a noble color, does not require special preparation costs and is quite pleasant to the taste. The preparation process is quite simple, can be done at home and usually does not require much time.
Do-it-yourself oak chips for moonshine
The main material is oak, from which wood chips are prepared. Among the wide variety of species, the most valued are Caucasian (Krasnodar) oaks. They have specific characteristics (physical and chemical), which are highly valued by world wine experts.
The chips should be split along wood fibers with a length of about 10 cm and a thickness of up to 2 cm. Then it is dried naturally in the sun and wind. Artificial drying can also be used. This method is preferable, as it allows you to completely control the entire process and significantly reduce drying time. A dryer made in the form of a plastic shelf with a fan copes well with this task. After drying, the oak chips are ready for further processing.
Next comes the soaking procedure. To do this, the wood chips are placed in a container with cold water for one day. It is recommended to change the water every 6 hours. During the last soaking, add a little soda to the water (1 teaspoon per 5 liters of water).
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When this stage is over, the oak chips are washed very thoroughly in fairly cold water and left to steam (up to 2 hours). To do this, you can use a strainer (metal) placed on top of a pan of boiling water. This process can be replaced by pouring boiling water over the wood chips, which will significantly reduce the time.
At the end of the process, the chips are washed again with very cold water, after which they are dried for 12 hours. At the same time, they are periodically stirred to achieve uniform removal of moisture. Dried oak chips are placed in the oven and heated at a temperature of about 150-160 ° C for three to four hours. During heating, a very pleasant spicy vanilla aroma appears.
Next, it is fried (preferably on the grill) to give it a dark color. This must be done with special care so that the workpieces do not catch fire or overcook. When the desired shade is reached, the oven turns off and the door is left open. This process is simple and does not require much time.
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You can use prepared oak chips to infuse moonshine several times. The consumption of oak material is usually from 20 to 40 g for every 10 liters of alcohol having a strength of 70°. A drink infused with oak chips should have a straw color. If the shade turns out to be darker, then the technological process was disrupted.
Roasting oak chips at home
After the procedures of soaking the wood chips and boiling, the oak pegs are well washed and dried. The dry ingredients that have been freed from moisture should be laid out in a fairly even layer on a baking sheet and placed in the oven. A microwave oven may also be suitable for these purposes. It is recommended to set the temperature for frying within 150-160 °C, and the process itself is carried out for 2 hours.
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You can do it in a slightly different way, which can significantly save time. Without waiting for complete drying, the wood chips are placed in an electric oven, and the lower and upper heating is turned on at a temperature of 150 °C. Final drying time is 20 minutes.
During this process, it is necessary to turn the wood chips over a couple of times for better drying. At the end of drying, the temperature rises to 200 °C, and calcination is carried out for 15 minutes. A small light smoke signals the end of the process. Carefully monitor the condition of the chips - under no circumstances should fire appear or char the edges.
As a result of frying, the pegs acquire a characteristic color (brown). Heat treatment converts some of the tannins into vanillin and some other compounds. The sugar present in the wood caramelizes. Wood chips browned in this way should be stored in a dry place with good ventilation. The presence of high humidity can have a detrimental effect on wood.
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