Armenian brandy is made from white grapes of the Ararat valley, distilled twice and aged in Caucasian oak. This page gathers the essentials and leads to the full articles in the TUFF journal.
What Armenian brandy is
Brandy is a spirit distilled from wine. In France only brandy from the Cognac region may be called cognac, while in Armenia and the former Soviet countries the local brandy has been called cognac for more than a century. Export bottles say "Armenian brandy".
Read more: Brandy or cognac: what makes Armenian brandy different · Brandy vs whiskey
How it is made
White grapes become a young dry wine, which is distilled twice into a spirit and aged in oak barrels. The years in the barrel shape the taste: the longer the ageing, the softer the brandy.
Read more: How brandy is made · The Ararat valley
How to choose
The age on the label matters most. Stars mark young brandy; the letter codes KV, KVVK, KS and OS mark aged brandy from 6 to 20 years and more. Check the producer and buy from reliable places.
Read more: How to choose Armenian brandy · TUFF XO or Heritage · Armenian or Georgian brandy
How to drink it and what to serve
Neat, without ice, at 18–20 °C, in a tulip glass, after letting it rest a few minutes. Dark chocolate, nuts, dried apricots, aged cheese and coffee go well with it.
Read more: How to drink Armenian brandy · What to pair with Armenian brandy · The brandy glass · Brandy cocktails · Does brandy go bad?
Brandy as a gift
Aged Armenian brandy in a box or case is still one of the most common gifts, from friends to business partners.
Read more: Armenian brandy as a gift · A gift for your boss · Corporate gifts
Where to buy
In Yerevan, Armenian brandy is sold in shops and at Zvartnots airport duty free; abroad, specialist shops carry it.
Read more: Where to buy TUFF · Zvartnots duty free · What to bring from Armenia
TUFF and the stone
TUFF is named after tuff, the volcanic stone of Armenian churches and houses. The cap of every bottle is carved from it by hand. TUFF XO is aged 20 years, TUFF Heritage 30 years.
Read more: Armenian tuff · The TUFF collection
