The Hennessy Brand Ambassador Guillaume de Guitaut is in Yerevan. He is one of six ambassadors for the brand. He revealed several secrets about cognac during a dinner with journalists. He tasted Armenian wine, cognac, basturma, and sujuk while in Yerevan. Guillaume de Guitaut, when comparing Armenian cognac to French cognac, said that Armenian cognac is stronger and more energizing, whereas the French Hennessy is a lot milder. He based the characteristics of Armenian cognac on the traditions and conditions of the aging process, as well as on the grapes used.
He presented century-old traditions for making cognac, secrets for aging, and the history of its development. He also introduced journalists to the culture of its use, the ceremony, and the rules for tasting. For example, he said that no one warms the cognac glass using the palm of their hand anymore as that habit is outdated. He also advised not to shake the glass before drinking as people often do when drinking wine because, according to him, that is how cognac loses its taste. Guillaume de Guitaut noted that the color of the cognac does not have anything to do with how strong it is. He said that there are six people on the brand’s tasting committee and said that they have a difficult job.
Guillaume de Guitaut said that Hennessy was established in 1765 when Irishman Richard Hennessy tasted cognac made in Cognac, France, while he was serving in the army of Louis XV of France. When he completed his service, Hennessy moved to France and established his small business in Cognac. By the way, it is due to Hennessy that the word ‘cognac’ began to be used in Europeans’ vocabulary both as the name of a city and of an alcoholic beverage.
Read also
In the second half of the 19th century, Hennessy representative Morris Hennessy revolutionized the cognac world by establishing an innovative way of evaluating the drink. He graded the drinks based on their age: V.S. (Very Special), V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale), and X.O. (eXtra Old).
Guillaume de Guitaut said that the journalists were excellent tasters, and he was also interested in what people like to eat with cognac in Armenia. He also was fond of pairing cognac with dried fruits.
By the way, Aravot Daily found out that Guillaume de Guitaut also likes red wine and does not like to drink toasts.
Gohar Hakobyan
