Cognac "Shustov": description, history, characteristics, reviews

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Cognac "Shustov" is a drink with a solid history dating back to the Northern War itself. It was then that the first mention of the merchant dynasty, which gave the name to aged brandy, can be traced in the documents. It is remarkable that the business activities of the Shustov family lasted from the beginning of the eighteenth century until the October Revolution of 1917. In this article, we will tell not only about the fascinating history of cognac factories with this big name, but also describe the characteristics of modern drinks. Yes, yes, despite the fact that all the production facilities of the Shustovs were expropriated by the new government, their business has not died. The descendants of cognac masters waited in the wings, and now strong drinks are produced by the Global Spirits holding, controlled by family representatives. The production of elite brandy is carried out on the former wine-growing lands of the Shustovs - near Odessa.

Brand history

It is authentically known that the first of the Shustovs, Leonty, was a serf,who received his freedom from his master, General Izmailov. Settling in Moscow, the enterprising peasant took up the s alt business and was very successful in this business. He had both deposits leased from the state and his own. Having amassed a large fortune on s alt, the descendants of Leontius decided not to put all their eggs in one basket, but to do something else. Their attention was drawn to the production of brandy. This niche has not yet been occupied by competitors. In Moscow, they mainly produced vodka. In 1863, Nikolai Shustov purchased an old forge and installed the first alembic in it. Seventeen years later, there were branded stores at the Moscow plant. In 1896, a share partnership was founded, and soon all of Russia already knew what Shustov brandy was. The history of this brilliant holding was cut short during the October Revolution.

Geographic map of production

But in a short twenty years, the Shustov brothers, Nikolai and Vasily, did a truly titanic work. In 1899, Nerses Tairyan sold his cognac factory in Yerevan to Moscow entrepreneurs. Almost immediately, a distillery in Odessa was acquired. It should be said that the brothers approached the new business, the production of cognacs, with all responsibility. Vasily Nikolaevich Shustov was trained in France. From the province of Cognac, he brought technological secrets and a recipe for making a drink. In 1900, the brothers anonymously sent Shustov cognac to participate in a competition at the World Exhibition in Paris. Unexpectedly for everyone, the incognito drink received the main prize. As a resultthe bewildered French allowed the Shustovs to use the word cognac on their product labels, even though origin control laws require foreign producers to list "brandy."

High-ranking fans

Nicholas II is known for being a good judge of good drinks. And he appreciated the cognac "Shustov". In 1912, the family partnership became the official supplier of alcoholic beverages to the imperial court. Another cognac factory in Chisinau was bought. At the start of World War I, the Shustovs controlled a third of all Russian alcohol production and forty-four percent of its exports. The partnership also produced tinctures, among which the most famous are Caucasian Herbalist, Riga Balsam, Zubrovka, Rowan on Cognac, Spotykach, Erofeich, Casserole, Tangerine and others. These recipes were adopted by the Soviet state alcohol business. Sergei Yesenin preferred Rowan on cognac. And Carl Faberge drank only Riga Balsam. Churchill, to tease Stalin, annually ordered four hundred bottles of "the famous Shustov cognac."

Modern brandy brand "Shustov"

“All this is good,” connoisseurs of the drink will say, “but this is already history. What now? Do modern Shustov cognacs have anything from the former ones, besides the branded bottle in the form of a bell?” The question is by no means idle. We know many examples when negligent manufacturers simply exploit the glory of a well-knownbrand. But do not forget that the quality control of products is carried out at the international level. And numerous awards testify to this. Thus, Shustov Golden Duke cognac received three medals at international competitions. The label "Gums" is decorated with five gold circles and one silver circle. At international competitions, "Kyiv" received eight medals, "Odessa" - six. "Ukraine" has the most awards. This brand of Shustov brandy has earned eleven medals (six gold and five silver).

The best ordinary cognacs of the Odessa factory

Why are we talking about the production of the famous brandy in Ukraine? This plant, thirty kilometers from Odessa, was highly valued by the Shustov brothers themselves. The factory grounds are located in Grossliebental. This area, whose name translates as "Great Love Valley", was settled by German colonists in the eighteenth century. Here is an ideal climate for growing French grape varieties - Aligote, Chardonnay, Sauvignon. And the soil is quite suitable. The vines have been carefully selected in France and Germany. New equipment was also purchased there. The plant employs specialists in blending and assemblage. Among inexpensive ordinary drinks, Grand Prix Paris VVSO and Desna are in demand. Cognac "Shustov 5 stars" is an excellent compromise of low price and excellent quality. It is created from different spirits of at least five years old. The drink has a delicate bouquet with floral notes and a soft, full-bodied taste.

Cognac "Shustov Jubilee"

To create this drinkuse an assemblage of selected spirits at the age of nine to fifteen years. The drink matures in old Limousin oak barrels, made without a single nail. As a result, after evaporation through the pores of the wood of the “share of angels”, Yubileiny has a delicate bouquet with vanilla-chocolate and floral tones and an excellent complex taste. This vintage cognac received three gold medals at competitions in Moscow, Kyiv and Y alta. What other vintage cognac "Shustov" can be recommended? Reviews praise the complex bouquet and long, pleasant aftertaste of ten-year-old Arcadia. Of the collectible stamps, I can advise "Golden Duke", "Kyiv" and "Odessa".