How much does a normal cognac cost in a store

Not so long ago, my sister called me and asked for advice on which brandy to choose. She was preparing a birthday – a surprise for her husband and decided to buy alcohol on her own for this event.

Now I’m wondering, how will the two of them drink so much good brandy because of the quarantine? After all, I told her how to buy good cognac at a bargain price.

I hope that after the lifting of self-isolation, we will be able to get together and celebrate the birthday of my relative. In the meantime, I will tell you how much a normal cognac costs.

This story was sent by my longtime subscriber Ivan Fedorovich.

What brandy can be considered good

To begin with, all cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is cognac. The fact is that cognac can rightly be called a drink made only in the French region of Charente.

This name is protected by French law and only certain manufacturers can sell brandy under the name “cognac” on the world market.

But in Russia it is not forbidden to produce and consume brandy called “cognac”. But this name should be only for domestic consumption (not for export) and be written in Russian letters.

Therefore, today we will talk about the drink that we all call cognac and we can buy at any store.

The cognac is considered good, in the manufacture of which all conditions were met:

• made only from white grape varieties;
• undergoes double distillation;
• aged in oak barrels for at least 30 months;
• fortress – from 40 degrees.

First of all, when choosing a drink, you need to pay attention to the country of origin. I recommend these:

• France;
• Armenia;
• Georgia.

It is worth noting that good drinks are produced on the territory of the Russian Federation, for example, in Dagestan, Crimea, Krasnodar Territory. One of my favorite cognacs is Lezginka (Kizlyar winery, Dagestan). It has a pleasant taste and reasonable price – from 850 rubles per 0,5 liter.

Good cognac has a slightly oily texture. If you tilt a glass of cognac, the drink will gather into drops and will flow down in oily streams.

If it resembles water, then it does not need to be taken. Roughly speaking, it will be just tinted vodka. When used, you are unlikely to feel a pleasant aftertaste.

It will not be superfluous to study the terms of cognac aging. In our country, they are usually denoted by the number of stars (corresponding to the years of aging), and in France – by letters.

How to choose a good cognac in a store

I believe that the main thing is to choose exactly cognac, and not some kind of surrogate. The following rules will help you with this:

1. In order not to fall for the manufacturer’s trick, you need to read the reviews of real buyers about cognac. Also on its website, Roskachestvo often publishes research reports on certain brands of alcohol, including cognacs.
2. Before buying large volumes, it is recommended to purchase a small one. In almost every store I see small bottles of cognac. Their volume is 100-250 ml. I bought them, tried them and gradually created my TOP. That’s what my wife calls them – “samplers”.
3. Checking the excise tax will help you not to make a mistake in choosing a quality alcoholic beverage. To do this, they created special applications on the phone. Entering it, you just need to scan the excise tax. Further, the application will tell you whether it is real or not.

And yet, I believe that the chance of poisoning with alcohol, which is on the shelves of chain and specialized stores, is very low. Such organizations will not take responsibility and sell “palenka”.

No matter how elite alcohol is, you can’t abuse it, as a hangover will appear in the morning.

Is it possible to buy good cognac “on a promotion”

Of course you can! I often go shopping and sometimes I run into the alcohol department. If there’s something on sale, I’ll take it.

The fact is that stores sell alcoholic beverages with a large markup. Sometimes it reaches 300-400%. And when no one buys a product, they drop the price a little. Or vice versa, they increase the demand for a drink, conditionally “reducing” the price. I hope you understand that no store will operate at a loss.

Sometimes you can buy cognac with a 50-60% discount. I think this is real luck.

When buying a promotional drink, I still urge you to carefully examine its bottle. Some unscrupulous sellers may put a low price tag on damaged goods. These can be chips on the bottle, a cork that does not fit tightly, or a violation of storage rules.

How much does a normal cognac cost in a store

Even if you have little money in your pocket, you can choose high-quality cognac from the budget segment. As a rule, it is domestically produced and slightly aged.

I recommend such budget brands of cognacs (the price is indicated for 0,5 l):

• Kinovsky 5 * – 600 rubles;
• Elder 5* — 700 rubles;
• Noy 5* — 750 rubles;
• Yerevan patio 7* — 650 rubles;
• Kizlyar 5* — 630 rubles;
• Talavari 5* — 610 rubles

All these drinks have a low price, but are of high quality. At work, we buy such alcohol for corporate parties – cheap and cheerful!

Cognac with a price tag of 1000-3500 rubles is perfect for a celebration. As a rule, such alcoholic beverages have a pleasant sweetish taste and smell.

TOP cognacs in the middle price category (the price is indicated for 0,5 l):

• Sarajishvili 5 * – 1200 rubles;
• Martell (Martel) – 2000 rubles;
• Courvoisier (Courvoisier) VS – 1700 rubles;
• Baron Otard (Baron Otard) VS – 3100 rubles;
• Eniseli 14 years old – 2200 rubles;
• Askaneli XO – 2700 rubles;
• Noy Araspel 5* — 1800 rubles;
• Camus (Kamus) VS – 3500 rubles.

To be honest, I buy such drinks for myself at the bar. Sometimes after a hard day’s work I drink 50 grams, so the bottle lasts for a long time.

Elite cognac is not affordable for everyone, but still there is a category of citizens who can afford it. Such alcoholic beverages do not have an upper price limit.

The cost depends on the brand, the number of years of exposure. Packaging also plays a significant role, as it can be made from rare materials and precious stones.

TOP elite cognacs:

• James Hennessy (James Hennessy) VSOP, 0,7l – 9500 rubles;
• Hennessy XO, gift box “Ice” (Hennessy XO, gift box “Ice”), 0.7 l – 16100 rubles;
• Chateau de Montifaud 30 Years Old, Fine Petite Champagne AOC, wooden box (Chateau de Montifaud 30 years in a wooden box), 0.7 l – 21500 rubles;
• Hine, “250”, wooden box (Hine, “250”, in a wooden box), 0.7 l – 1550000 rubles.

Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Take care of yourself!

I hope that the moment will come when I can buy myself a cognac Hine (Hine). What is your favorite cognac? Expensive or you have found the best value for money. Write in the comments and subscribe!