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

Cognac "Shustov" is a drink with a solid history dating back to the Northern War itself. It is then that the first mention of the merchant dynasty, which gave the name of the seasoned brandy, is traced in the documents. It is remarkable that the entrepreneurial activity of the Shustov family lasted from the beginning of the eighteenth century to the October 1917 coup. In this article we will tell not only about the fascinating history of cognac factories with this great name, but also describe the characteristics of modern drinks. Yes, despite the fact that all the production capacities of the Shustovs were expropriated by the new authorities, their case did not die. Descendants of cognac masters have waited for their time, and now the strong drinks are produced by the holding company Global Spirits, controlled by family representatives. The production of elite brandy is conducted on the former wineries of the Shustovs - near Odessa.

History of the brand

It is well known that the first of the Shustovs, Leonty, was a serf peasant who was free from his master, General Izmailov. Sitting in Moscow, an enterprising villager took up the salt business and was very successful in this business. He had both leased deposits from the state, and his own. Having beaten a large fortune on the salt, the descendants of Leonty decided not to put all the eggs in one basket, but to do something else. Their attention was attracted to the production of brandy. This niche was not yet occupied by competitors. In Moscow, mainly produced vodka. In 1863, Nikolai Shustov bought an old smithy and installed the first distillation cube in it. Already in seventeen years at the Moscow factory there were firm shops. In 1896, a mutual association was founded, and soon all of Russia already knew what the Shustov cognac was. The history of this brilliant holding was cut short during the October Revolution.

Geographical map of production

But in a short twenty years, the brothers Shustov, Nikolai and Vasily, conducted a truly titanic work. In 1899, Nerses Tayaryan sold his brandy factory in Yerevan to Moscow businessmen. Almost immediately, a distillery was purchased in Odessa. It should be said that the brothers approached the new business, the production of cognacs with all responsibility. Vasily Nikolayevich 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 the cognac "Shustov" to participate in the competition at the World Exhibition in Paris. Unexpectedly for all, the drink "incognito" received the main prize. As a result, amazed Frenchmen allowed the Shustov to use the word cognac on the labels of their products, although the laws on the control of the origin of beverages require foreign producers to indicate "brandy".

High-ranking fans

Nicholas II is known for knowing good drinks. And he appreciated the cognac "Shustov". In 1912 the family partnership became the official supplier of alcoholic products to the imperial court. Another cognac factory was bought in Chisinau. At the beginning of the First World War, the Shustovs controlled a third of the total Russian alcohol production and forty-four percent of its exports. The association produced tinctures, among which the most famous are the Caucasian herbalist, Riga Balsam, Zubrovka, Rowan on brandy, Spotykach, Erofeiich, Zapekanka, Mandarinova and others. These recipes were adopted by the Soviet state alcohol business. Sergei Yesenin preferred "Rowan on brandy." And Carl Faberge drank only "Riga balsam." Churchill, to tease Stalin, annually ordered four hundred bottles of "the famous cognac Shustov."

Modern brandy brand "Shustov"

"All this is good," the connoisseurs of the drink will say, "but this is already history. What now? Do the modern Shust cognacs have anything from the former, in addition to the branded bottle in the form of a bell? "The question is by no means idle. We know a lot of examples when negligent producers simply exploit the glory of a well-known brand. But we do not forget that the quality control of the products is conducted at the international level. And this is evidenced by numerous awards. Thus, the cognac "Shustov Golden Duke" received three medals at international competitions. The label "Desna" is decorated with five golden circles and one silver. At international competitions, "Kiev" received eight medals, "Odessa" - six. Most of all the awards from the "Ukraine". This brand of Shust cognac earned eleven medals (six gold and five silver).

Best ordinary cognacs of Odessa factory

Why are we talking about the production of the famous brandy in Ukraine? This plant, thirty kilometers from Odessa, was highly appreciated by the Shustov brothers themselves. The factory grounds are located in Großlibenthal. This area, whose name translates as "Valley of Big Love" was inhabited by German colonists in the eighteenth century. Here the ideal climate for growing grapes of French varieties - Aligote, Chardonnay, Sauvignon. And the soil is quite suitable. Vines have been carefully selected in France and Germany. In the same place, new equipment was purchased. The plant employs specialists in blending and assembling. Among inexpensive ordinary drinks are in demand "Grand Prix Paris VVSO" and "Desna". Cognac "Shustov 5 stars" is an excellent compromise of low price and excellent quality. It is created from different spirits of the age not less than five years. The drink has a delicate bouquet with floral notes and a soft full-bodied taste.

Cognac "Shustov Jubilee"

To create this drink use the assembly of selected spirits from the age of nine to fifteen years. Drink manages in old barrels of limousine oak, made without a single nail. As a result, after evaporation through the pores of the wood "share of angels" near "Jubilee" there is a delicate bouquet with vanilla-chocolate and flower tones and excellent complex taste. This brandy cognac received three gold medals at competitions in Moscow, Kiev and Yalta. What else can you recommend branded cognac "Shustov"? The reviews are praised by the complex bouquet and the long pleasant aftertaste of the ten-year-old "Arcadia". From the collection marks you can advise the "Golden Duke", "Kiev" and "Odessa".