Fame came to this cognac much earlier than it appeared in the frames of the film “Goddess: How I fell in love”. But since the drink was advertised by Renata Litvinova, calling it “an excellent cure for longing”, cognac has become popular in a creative environment. The famous Russian TV presenter Tina Kandelaki says that it is only thanks to her favorite actress that she knows which of the Russian cognacs is the best. And this is the Old City.
Historical reference. The trademark “Old City” is a convincing evidence of the excellent PR strategy of the MVKZ “KiN”. It is this brand that opens the premium page of Russian cognacs and laid the foundations for the first cognac house in Russia.
At the end of the last century, KiN was already a well-known manufacturer of affordable cognacs from French spirits. Successful partnerships with European winemakers allowed the company’s blenders to experiment with distillates. In 2000, “Kinovsky” cognac for the first time became the “Product of the Year” and held this status for 12 years in a row. And the “Old Town”, which appeared in 2003, did not claim the status of a popular drink, it was initially positioned as an elite one, not for everyone.
The first to be released was the four-year-old Old City, and in 2005 it was replaced by a five-year-old. A narrow, tall bottle with a heavy bottom and a strict, no-frills label were immediately remembered – at that time, Russian cognacs were bottled in low pot-bellied bottles with an abundance of gilding on the label. Philippe Sey, the creative director of KiN, did this on purpose – the bottle evoked associations with French drinks of small cognac houses. The golden stroke on the glass with the expiration date appeared in 2010.
And today, Philippe Say is sure that the “Old Town” was created for an audience that knows a lot about good drinks, music, painting – everything that requires a creative mindset and character. “Because the Old City is also a work of art,” he says.
Interesting Facts
One of the stages of the cognac PR campaign was the release of the chocolate of the same name in 2004. The recipe was developed by Russian chocolatiers and KiNa winemakers. Thus, instead of the usual gastronomic accompaniment – lemon, lovers of a strong drink were offered a delicacy that goes well with the vanilla-chocolate taste of cognac.
Contrary to the popular belief at that time that chocolate was a short-term project and was created only to “promote” the brand, the union of cognac and chocolate turned out to be surprisingly strong. And if the first batch of chocolate “Old Town” weighed 3 tons, then every year the volume increases by approximately half a ton.
Assortment of cognac “Old Town”
- “Old Town”, 5 years, 40%. An amber five-star drink made from French spirits from the Cognac region, aged in oak barrels for five to eight years. Light aroma of fruits and honey. Rounded velvety taste with chocolate-woody undertones. The aftertaste is of medium duration with notes of candied fruit and chocolate. Good as a digestif, can be served with fruit and coffee.
- “Old Town”, 8 years old, 40%. Cognac class KVVK (Cognac Aged Top Quality) created from French grape spirits aged 8-10 years, has a bright color of old gold. The drink smells pleasantly of summer flowers, honey, the aroma is balanced by a slight tartness of oak. The taste is velvety, harmonious, woody-spicy. Long aftertaste with hints of chocolate. Recommended as a digestif, goes well with chocolate, coffee, apples.
- “Old Town”, 10 years, 40%. Deep copper color with a reddish tinge indicates a long exposure of the drink – the blend consists of French spirits that have matured in oak barrels for 10 to 14 years. Multifaceted taste with notes of honey, chocolate, dried prunes and cinnamon. Long warm aftertaste with hazelnut-chocolate tones. Recommended by connoisseurs and bartenders as a digestif, goes well with coffee and desserts.
