The name of the brand is borrowed from the French la vieille Garde – during the Napoleonic wars, this was the name of a special unit of Bonaparte, which became legendary due to courage and military prowess. The drink is produced in Perm from spirits aged for at least five years in oak barrels.
Historical reference. The Russian enterprise “Uralalko” (JSC “Perm Wine and Vodka Plant”) was founded in 1942 on the capacities of the evacuated Leningrad winery. At first, only wines were in its assortment – dry and fortified, still and sparkling wines were poured here. In 1975, the plant was completely modernized, spacious cellars were built, where 3 million liters of wine can be stored. And in 1990, the enterprise was re-profiled – a vodka shop and a new alcohol store were built, and the production of wines was stopped. The range of vodka very quickly – by 2000, grew to sixty items.
In 2003, the company became part of the Synergy holding (now Beluga Group). Until 2009, in addition to the release of the main products, Uralalco also bottled cognacs belonging to the holding’s trademarks. And then they decided to launch their own brand, it became the Golden Reserve.
The Old Guard, like the Stone Lion, appeared in 2013. And in 2015, the plant acquired innovative European equipment for the production of cognacs. They also built a new workshop with a capacity of up to two million decaliters and a warehouse complex for 8 square meters.
In 2017, the plant produced a record number of 900 decalitres of Russian cognacs, and by the end of the year, the company became one of the leaders in cognac production in the Russian Federation. In the same year, they decided to rename: now the factory still owned by BELUGA GROUP is called “Bastion” and is working on the production of a personal brand of cognac.
Characteristics of cognac “Old Guard”
Staraya Gvardia, 5-year-old (40%) is a five-star cognac made from spirits aged from five to eight years in oak containers. The color is bright, amber, with golden reflections. The aroma is soft, nutty-fruity. The taste is balanced, with hints of chocolate, vanilla, smoked prunes and oak wood. Warm nutty aftertaste of medium duration. If you add ice, as is done with some cognac brands, the drink loses its pleasant sweetish aftertaste. Therefore, experienced bartenders and restaurateurs recommend clean cognac as a digestif.
