This Ukrainian ordinary cognac was first released back in 1963, although then its name was simply “4 stars”, the drink was renamed in 1998. The name tied to the area arose due to the unspoken rivalry between the Uzhgorod and Odessa cognac factories. Both produced the Desna cognac, which was then created by allied specialists, but the inhabitants of Odessa improved it and soon patented it. And the people of Uzhgorod did not challenge the authorship, they removed Desna from production, renaming one of the most successful drinks.
The author of the blend is Eduard Mikhaeliants, at that time the head of the regional winemaking department. The blend contains only Ukrainian spirits from European grape varieties grown on the mountain slopes of the Carpathians. The arsenal of the drink includes 6 gold, 10 silver and 3 bronze awards of national competitions and exhibitions.
About the manufacturer
The official history of the industrial production of Transcarpathian cognacs usually begins in 1961, when the Uzhgorod (first – Transcarpathian) cognac factory was founded. But it would be fair to start from the date of creation of the team of the future enterprise. Experienced winemakers and budding cognac masters were gathered in 1959 at a small winery in the village of Velikie Lazy near Uzhgorod by the head of the regional wine industry Eduard Mikhaeliants. It was there that the first blends were created – Uzhgorod “3 stars” and the same “Transcarpathian”, “4 stars”. In 1961, the entire team moved to a factory that had just been built in Uzhgorod, and warehouses remained in Velikie Lazy.
The frequency of release of new varieties of cognac is directly related to public holidays and significant dates – this was the custom in the days of the Soviet Union. Vintage cognac “Tisa” (named after a river in Transcarpathia, Serbia and Hungary), the development of a blend of which lasted 2 years, was released on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution, in 1967. Vintage “Karpaty” came out on the centenary of the “leader of the revolution” Lenin in 1970. Another vintage cognac – branded “Uzhgorod”, was released in 1982 for the anniversary of Vladimir Shcherbitsky, who led Ukraine in the eighties of the last century. Shcherbitsky was flattered and advertised cognac at every opportunity, including at international meetings among foreign guests.
The premium arsenal of the Uzhgorod Brandy Factory has dozens of awards from international and national exhibitions – from Budapest and Moscow, Yalta and St. Petersburg, Beijing and Yerevan, Chisinau and Sochi. In 2004, the company’s products were included in the honorary list of “100 Best Goods of Ukraine”. Since 1981, the enterprise has been headed by Volodymyr Gisem, whose name is included in the Golden Book of the business elite of Ukraine.
In 2009, the plant was reconstructed and modernized, new lines for bottling ordinary and vintage cognacs were installed, new premises for aging spirits were built. Today, equipped with German and Italian equipment, the Uzhgorod Cognac Factory annually produces 8,5 million bottles of cognac.
Characteristics of cognac “Zakarpatsky”
An ordinary drink of thick hazel color is created from four-year-old Ukrainian spirits. After creation, the blend is aged for a year in oak containers, achieving harmonious taste. In a light floral aroma, honey and grape notes are heard. The taste is soft, full, rounded, with a subtle grape sweetness and astringency of oak bark. Short bitter aftertaste. Bars and restaurants serve cognac pure – with fruit and coffee.
