At an Armenian table the bottle is there for the conversation, and the food comes after. Still, the right pairing makes an aged brandy easier to hear. One rule: the food should not shout over the drink.
TUFF XO carries candied apricot, roasted almond, dark chocolate and soft oak. Build the table around those.
Brandy and dark chocolate
Bitter, from 70% cocoa. Its cocoa and light bitterness pick up the vanilla and oak in the brandy. Milk chocolate is too sweet and buries the finish.
Nuts
Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, lightly roasted and unsalted. TUFF already has a roasted-almond note, and nuts on the table carry it on.
Dried apricots and figs
Dried apricot, fig, dates. Armenian apricot is no accident here: in aged TUFF you taste it in the glass, and on the table it grows brighter.
Aged hard cheese
Parmesan, aged gouda, Comté. Salt and a firm texture set off the softness of the brandy. Leave sharp blue cheeses for the oldest bottle, the 30-year TUFF Heritage.
Coffee
A strong coffee after dinner, a glass beside it. Take them in turn rather than mixing.
Gata and sweets
Take Armenian sweets in small portions, and not the sugariest. Gata with walnut sits closest to the character of TUFF.
Khorovats
In Armenia the brandy often stands next to the grill. Meat suits a younger drink; open the oldest bottle later, once the table quiets.
What to avoid
Lemon with sugar overrides the aroma. Very spicy food drowns the taste. Ice closes the bouquet. Aged TUFF is drunk at 18–20 °C.
How to drink Armenian brandy · The TUFF collection
Read next: Armenian brandy as a gift: how to choose · Armenian XO Brandy: A Buyer’s Guide to TUFF XO · Armenian brandy (Armenian cognac): a complete guide · Brandy tasting in Yerevan: factory tours and a tasting at home
