Uzhgorod cognac is considered best in Ukraine

Yesterday, April 26, in Uzhgorod the central branch tasting commission on monitoring cognac production, manufactured in Ukraine and imported from other countries, summed up its work.

The commission, comprised of leading experts in wine-making and leaders of the largest domestic enterprises producing cognac, evaluated 106 samples submitted.
The Committee Chairman Edward Mihaylyants told the reporters about his conclusions during the press conference held at Uzhgorod Cognac Factory. The interview with journalists was preceded by a detailed excursion around the plant, which was held by its director, Vladimir Gisem.
He showed visitors how the process of cognac aging takes place (on a special premises about 900 barrels are kept, the oldest of which is 50 years), how cognac "rests" after blending and before bottling, how it is bottled and the protective system tested (if to light a bottle cap with ultraviolet one will see an inscription ‘Uzhgorod cognac Factory’, otherwise it is a fake) and how the bottles are packed in boxes, which will disperse all over Ukraine.
The journalists were also shown the room where the cognac spirits are aged in large enameled tanks filled with oak sawdust. This technology is referred to as the most environmentally suitable, since it is too expensive to cut down the oak trees just for barrel production. In order to make an oak barrel only 15% of the tree is used, while another part may be used for steeping, as in the case with our cognac plant. The quality of cognac is high.
This is proved by the results of the committee, which recognized the cognac "Beskyd" the best in Ukraine among three-star cognacs, "Zakarpatskiy" – among the four-star ones and "Nevitsky Zamok" is the best five-star cognac. The leaders of the vintage cognacs monitoring were French samples but they are closely followed by one more Uzhgorod cognac – "Tysa".
In general, experts unanimously said that Ukrainian cognacs are no worse than those abroad. In particular, during the degustations Georgian and Moldovan samples haven’t shown a satisfactory result. The closest in quality to Uzhgorod in Ukraine was recognized the Odessa cognac factory.
By the way, Uzhgorod Cognac Factory is planning to launch a new brand of bottled brandy in 2012, which will be called "Podkarpatska Rus’. Now this plant produces annually 400 thousand deciliters of the noble drink, but its director says, in order to cover the demand the plant needs to triple its output.