Brandy represents the strong alcoholic drink made of the begun to ferment fruit or berry juice. Treats armagnacs including the cognac loved by many.
Grape brandy
Production technologies of this drink differ depending on a kind of brandy a little. The most widespread look is grape brandy which is made from the begun to ferment grape juice. Here cognac, Armagnac, American grape brandy and grape brandy of other countries belong.
The real cognac is produced in the French city of the same name by means of double distillation of the begun to ferment grape juice. Armagnac is also manufactured in France, it is received by single long distillation. Historically Armagnac is the first distillation alcoholic drink in France.
At first wine material is fermented within 3-4 weeks in the closed tanks. The turned-out liquid with a strength from 9 to 12 degrees is located in a column still where heats up to a boiling point. When boiling a mash couples, concentration of alcohol in which is many times higher, are formed. After the first distillation the volume of initial raw materials decreases twice, and fortress increases in three. The second distillation includes division of alcohol into fractions, the cognac spirit represents average fraction. Distillation devices for brandy can be portion or continuous. In the first case drink turns out more fragrant and saturated, in the second – lighter and delicate. Cognac and Armagnac are exposed to endurance in oak casks. Barrels are stored at a temperature 18-20os and humidity of 75-85%. Annually in barrels alcohol is added, coloring and acidity of contents are checked. Flavor profiles of an armagnac strongly depend on a grade of the used grapes. The best cognac spirits are preparing from grades with gentle flower aromas.
Fruit brandy and brandy from an extraction
Other kind of brandy is brandy from the wrung-out grape pulp and stones. And at last – fruit brandy, made of other berries or fruit. The known fruit brandies – Calvados on apples, a slivovitsa on plums and kirsch on cherry. Many brandies from an otzhimka and fruit brandies aren't matured therefore they turn out transparent. In that case the producer is obliged to specify on the label that brandy unrestrained. However the majority is exposed at least to two-year endurance. After endurance, drink has approximately 70-degree fortress therefore it is diluted with the softened water, a sugar syrup or a color. The final stage is filtration of the received alcohol and a flood on bottles.