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Hayk is a young brand owned by the Yerevan Brandy Factory. Production began in 2001 with the aim of popularizing high-quality alcohol of the brown spirits category (aged in barrels of spirits) among female and youth audiences. The line is represented by 3 positions: ordinary five-year cognac, vintage – 7 and 11 years of aging. The name of the cognac is a reference to the legend about the mythical progenitor of the Armenians Hayk, the founder of the Haykazuni dynasty.
Historical reference. The Yerevan Brandy Factory has been counting its history since 1887, the date when the merchant and industrialist Nerses Tairyants began the first experiments in the production of brandy using French technology. The work was carried out on a grand scale: to provide the distillery with its own raw materials, significant areas of vineyards were acquired, classic copper alambiks were ordered from France, and an alcohol storage facility was built.
Subsequently, the plant was acquired by the king of the cognac empire, Nikolai Shustov, and breathed new life into production. When promoting his drinks, Shustov used original advertising tricks and unhackneyed marketing moves, becoming practically the progenitor of Russian product placement. The partnership of Shustov with his sons reached its pinnacle of success at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, having won the competition at the world exhibition in Paris and received the right to be called the supplier of the Imperial Court. A great contribution to the treasury of the overall success was made by the chief technologist of the plant, Mkrtych Musinyants, who was educated in France.
During the Soviet period, the company became the property of the state and was reorganized into the Ararat Wine and Cognac Trust. In the post-war period, the revival of the plant’s activities began; in 1953, a new monumental building was built for it on a high hill. The company moved and was named Yerevan Brandy Factory. These years are inscribed in history under the sign of the creation of the legendary blends Dvin, Akhtamar, Nairi. The author of most of them is Markar Sedrakyan, a renowned brandy specialist, awarded the honorary title of “Master of Masters” and a large silver medal “Knight of Tasting”.
Armenian manufacturers are writing a chapter of modern history together with the French: since 1998, YBC has been part of the Pernod Ricard company. Pernod Ricard has invested more than $5 million in the re-equipment of the plant and the promotion of brands. Production issues are entrusted to Philippe Thibaut, who previously worked as a blender at the Martell cognac house.
Awards
- 2002 – EKZ received the “Product of the Year” award.
- 2012 – “Golden Award” of the National Institute of Standards
- 2015 – Award of the CIS Prize for achievements in the field of product and service quality.
- 2017 – at the Berlin International Spirits Competition, the Yerevan Brandy Company was awarded the honorary medal “Enterprise of the Year”.
- 2017 – the trademark “Ararat” of the Yerevan Brandy Factory was recognized as the “Brand of the Year” within the framework of the Armenian national PR-award.
The Yerevan Brandy Factory became the first manufacturer from Armenia to present its products at the international competition of alcoholic beverages World Spirits Competition-2016 in San Francisco. Authoritative awards were awarded to 3 products of the company: “Ararat Akhtamar” (gold), “Ararat Nairi” and “Ararat 5*” (silver).
International Spirits Competition, Berlin: 2017 – Ararat Ani (gold), Ararat Nairi (silver).
Cognac Ararat Nairi was awarded many awards at the International Professional Competition of Wines and Spirits held in Moscow: 2011, 2013, 2016 – Grand Prix.
Ararat Akhtamar was awarded gold medals three times: 2012, 2013, 2015.
Interesting Facts
YBC and its flagship brand ArArAt are actively involved in the Aurora humanitarian initiative aimed at helping children, refugees and people from other risk groups around the world. Hollywood star George Clooney is the co-chairman of the selection committee that awards the awards for this philanthropic endeavor. Arriving to participate in the program in Yerevan, the actor visited the YBC and its famous cognac museum as the first attraction.
The Yerevan Brandy Factory regularly supports the most significant cultural events in Moscow: theatrical and cinematic premieres, the Golden Mask awards, art exhibitions of Aivazovsky’s paintings.
Types of cognac
“Hayk” 5 years, 40%
Ordinary cognac is produced from wine materials obtained from autochthonous grape varieties Mskhali, Voskehat and Garandmak. The blend uses distillates not younger than 5 years old with the addition of 15% alcohol, aged for 28 years. It has a complex bouquet with pronounced tones of oak against the background of aromas of prunes, quince, dried cherries. The taste is dominated by a chocolate-vanilla theme, supported by notes of roasted nuts. The manufacturer has developed a recipe for the signature Ayk Sunrise cocktail based on this cognac: it includes chilled champagne and peach or mango juice.
“Hayk” 7 years, 40%
Vintage cognac, the blend includes cognac spirits with an aging period of at least 7 years, with the addition of distillates of 29 years of age. The bouquet embodies the classic style of Armenian cognac: the tones of aging are clearly felt, complemented by fruity notes of apricot, yellow plum, dried grapes. Scrolling the snifter reveals nuances of vanilla, walnut, red orange zest. The taste harmoniously combines the sweetness of chocolate, light peppery pungency and aromas of oriental spices. The drink will be a worthy end to the meal.
“Hayk” 11 years, 40%
To create a blend, aged spirits 11-29 years old, produced from endemic grape varieties Kangun, Chilar, Mskhali, are selected. The vineyards of the Ararat Valley were not attacked by phylloxera, so the local grapes have taste properties that are practically lost in Europe. The bouquet is characterized by delicate tones of duchesse pear and citrus, herbal stem and black sweet tea. It is drunk softly, leaving a feeling of an oily film in the mouth. The finish is long and warm, with an emphasis on dark chocolate with hazelnuts.
