It is quite difficult to choose a gift for a person holding a high position and not constrained by means. Especially if you stopped your search for elite alcohol. There are many subtleties in the process of selecting the right type of drink. So let's start with the basics.
Choosing among men's drinks
The division into male and female alcoholic beverages is very conditional. However, the category of male options is more impressive and presentable. Therefore, it is with them that you need to start choosing. This is about:
It is preferable to give vodka only in those cases when you are completely unaware and have no idea about the preferences of your boss, but even in such cases it is better to ask colleagues and pick up something from a number of nobler drinks.
Who is cognac suitable for and how to choose it?
Cognac will appeal to connoisseurs of soft and multifaceted taste. In general, this option will become a win-win, because expensive and aged cognac can at least become a source of pride for the recipient. The main difficulty lies elsewhere - where to find really good drink, which can be classified as elite.
The first rule in choosing cognac is: always buy alcohol in specialized boutiques, shops or from an exclusive dealer. Only in this case you can be sure that you have purchased a real aged drink, and not its counterfeit.
You can also check the quality of cognac during the purchase process. For this you need:
- Consider the label. It should not contain any traces of glue. Pay attention to the label as well. The higher the star rating of cognac, the better, because the number of stars corresponds to the years of aging (V.S. - 3 stars; V.S.O.P. - 4; V.V.S.O.P. - 5; X.O. - more than 6 years of aging in barrels).
- Check the consistency of the drink. To do this, just turn the bottle upside down and see how the liquid flows inside. High-quality and aged cognac leaves a special mark on the walls, similar to the trace of liquid honey.
What can we advise beginners in the selection of elite cognac?
Cognac Courvoisier VSOP fine Champagne. This is a great example of a French drink made from exceptional grapes. It is known that Napoleon himself preferred this drink.
Whiskey: who will like it and which one to choose
It is worth giving whiskey to those bosses who prefer strong and rich drinks. All single malts fall into this category. It is better to exclude grain drinks from sight, as their quality is an order of magnitude lower.
Blended whiskey deserves special attention. All of them are a mixture of blends, which also affects the taste. Each whiskey in this category is unique and has a very bright and recognizable aroma. If you're unsure of your boss's tastes, it's best to play it safe and stick with single malts.
We are ready to vouch for:
- Macallan Gold. The taste of this drink will give notes of caramel, citrus and hints of cinnamon and ginger. Long aging in sherry casks has also taken its toll on the whiskey, giving it a pleasant honey hue;
- Laphroaig 10 Y.O. This is the legendary whiskey that is produced in the southern part of Islay. The complex flavor bouquet of this drink is famous all over the world.
Rum for connoisseurs of tradition
This alcohol option will appeal to those bosses who love the unequivocal pronounced taste characteristic of rum and bourbon.
When you settle on rum, remember that best drinks this class is produced in Cuba, Guadeloupe, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Among all options(white, gold and dark) it is better to give preference to dark rum, as its exposure exceeds 5 years.
Good options would be:
- Carta Vieja Anejo aged 6 years. It will appeal to fans of soft fruity notes;
- Rum Hispaniola 5 years old. This is the famous Dominican rum, which has a mild taste due to a complex filtration system during production.
In order for the gift to become really valuable for your boss, do not be lazy and spend time studying the features of each alcohol you like. In the WineStreet catalogs every drink has detailed description flavor that will help you make a really good choice!
Yes, there is currently a very large selection of gift products that can make it difficult for anyone who wants to find an appropriate gift. And to prevent this from happening, you must adhere to the basic rules. Remember, when you choose a gift cognac for a manager, the price of cognac should correspond to the level and position.
The first thing you should pay attention to is, of course, your financial capabilities and the capabilities of the gifted person. The thing is that if your leader has ample financial resources, most likely, he drinks only expensive drinks made by real professionals. If you decide to purchase a cheap analogue of cognac, your trick will be quickly figured out.
There are a lot of producers of this drink in the world. According to the rating of the most expensive collectible cognacs, the cost of the most expensive is $ 2 million per bottle. This drink is called "Henry IV", and its peculiarity is that only the descendants of this great king can prepare it.
However, too expensive cognac as a gift will be an unaffordable luxury, so it’s better to get acquainted with the rating of the best, but more budgetary brands of this drink.
Brands of the best cognac
In second place is Trijol VSOP. The rich bouquet of flavors of this drink gives light fruity notes. In addition, cognac is distinguished by its elegance and fine, fine structure.
Closes the top three "Frapin Chateau Fontpinot XO". This cognac has a light golden color, and its aroma includes notes of caramel, vanilla, exotic fruits, lilies, acacia, hawthorn and some other mountain flowers.
Cognac Rating
The rating of cognac is traditionally made by specialists. This is about 500 people who are professionally involved in testing alcoholic beverages over the past three years. Experts are tasting quality brands skate for the sole purpose of making drinks and determining. No more than 200 drinks participate in such testing. It is worth noting that this is not so easy to do, and the opinion of professionals is very subjective.
Often the oldest brandy wins, and not the one that is the best. However, the experts who are allowed to compile the rating are real admirers and connoisseurs this drink. Many of them inherited the opportunity to choose the best Russian or French cognac.
Many people are interested to know which Russian cognac is the best. In this case, a separate rating of this alcoholic beverage is compiled in Russia. The skate is also tested here. According to their results, a rating is compiled. Based this choice The drink is assigned a certain number of stars. The best skates have five stars. It is from this that the value of the brand of the drink comes.
Which cognac is the best, everyone should decide for themselves. Only in this case you will not make a mistake with the choice.
What to give a man on February 23 or Birthday? This question is asked every year by thousands of women, trying to choose a pleasant surprise for their spouse, friend, colleague. In this case, a universal gift can be good whiskey or cognac. Most often they give cognac, it is one of the alcoholic drinks that are usually drunk in a festive atmosphere.
It, as befits a man's gift, symbolizes fortitude and nobility, and is perfect for both an unfamiliar person and a very close one, whose tastes are well known to you. In any case, cognac is one of the most democratic presents that will definitely not offend your interlocutor.
So, what cognac to choose as a gift? Of course, for festive occasions, you need to buy only high-quality drinks, such as Napoleon cognac. Named after the French emperor, it really has a special grandeur. But keep in mind that this inscription does not indicate the brand of cognac, but the degree of its exposure. If you see a bottle with the name of Bonnaparte in front of you, then this cognac is from 12 to 30 years old. Such a drink has a persistent juicy fruity taste and a long aftertaste, but it costs a lot. Once a collectible bottle of Napoleon Grand Champagne Cognac Reserve 1811 was sold at auction for $11,000. A regular, non-collectible Napoleon is quite affordable. Its taste can give notes of dried fruits, honey, fresh fruit, almonds, walnuts.
However, it is not necessary to choose an elite French drink as a gift; Russian cognac is no less valued by amateurs and experts. For the first time in our country, it began to be produced in 1865, and a few years later, it was recognized as one of the best on the international market. Depending on the aging period, on the bottles of Russian cognac you can find the inscriptions:
- ordinary (3-5 years);
- KV (aged cognac: 6-7 years);
- KVVK (high quality aged cognac: 8-10 years);
- KS (cognac old)
- OS (very old: 10-15 years old);
- collectible (over 20 years).
Among gift cognacs, high-quality cognac Bastion is very famous. This is a Russian drink made from the grapes of the Grande Champagne region (a region of France with a thin fertile layer gives the best harvest in the world). Bastion is made according to the old technology: the grapes ferment for two months, then it undergoes a distillation procedure, and is aged in French oak barrels for several years. Even the bottle of this drink itself personifies masculinity: the strict forms and silhouette of the sword are the best suited for a gift to the stronger sex.
Another Russian drink, Moscow Cognac, is also based on French spirits. It combines more than 12 spirits, which are aged in barrels for about 9 months. Grapes for it are also grown in the French provinces of Grand Champagne, Petit Champagne and Borderies.
The production process is carefully controlled, and the drink is of the highest quality, this is the real pride of the Moscow Wine and Cognac Factory. This brand is distinguished by a velvety taste of chocolate, caramel and a transparent amber color.
All of these stamps are ideal for a gift as a token of friendship, appreciation, gratitude or love. You can choose another brand, but it must be of high quality. Don't forget that men appreciate good gifts and attention to yourself.
2 years ago
Everyone knows that cognac is one of the best gifts for a man. But before you make a present, there is always a difficult choice. Indeed, among the huge range of cognacs and their analogues, it is difficult to immediately decide.
Well, if you need to make a gift to a random acquaintance with whom you are not going to keep in touch. And you will never know his impression of cognac. Another thing is if you need to make a present to a friend or person, further communication and cooperation with which is very important.
Many will ask: “What is so difficult? If you want to leave a pleasant impression of a gift, you need to take any cognac, which is more expensive and in a bright box. Such an opinion is erroneous. Beautiful packaging is not a sign of good quality.
Signs of a good cognac
Today, there are a lot of alcoholic drinks on sale, all of them from different manufacturers. Some release admirable products for sale, others copy the design of bottles and gift wrapping and then pour in mixtures of incomprehensible colors that are impossible to drink, others do not bother to spend on a beautiful box, while the quality of the product remains terrible.
To figure out where which brandy is, you should remember the following rules:
- Beautiful gift packaging significantly increases the price of these products, but does not add quality to them;
- Cognac at a price of 200 rubles per 500 milliliters cannot belong to five-star representatives of well-known brands, unless it was stolen from a store or factory and sold for half the price;
- You should not buy expensive alcohol in places where you will not be given a receipt.
- The composition of a good cognac should include cognac alcohol;
- All cognacs that contain ethanol and flavors are analogues;
- The label should indicate: composition of the drink, date of manufacture, volume, manufacturer;
- The label must be glued evenly, its curvature in any direction is a reason to refuse to purchase this product;
- The color of the liquid can range from light to dark shades of brown;
- No matter how dark the color of the liquid, the reflection of the palm should be visible through the glass container;
- Dark color indicates a long exposure of the drink.
Where could I buy?
Of course, it is best to go to France for such a present and purchase it directly in the Grand Champagne region. But not everyone can do this, and therefore people prefer to buy cognac in shops, supermarkets, and markets.
It is best to prefer specialized stores and supermarkets that do not sell anything except alcohol. This must be done at least for the reason that there will be more choice than in any other store. And the more choice, the more chances to choose a good cognac at an affordable price.
Which brand do you prefer?
But what if you don’t understand alcohol (allergy), but you still need to give a gift? Then you can rely on the composition, the number of stars and the consistency of the liquid. To check the quality of the contents, simply turn the bottle upside down. Equally important is the color of the liquid, which was written above.
It is also worth paying attention to gift packaging, although it does not add quality, nevertheless, the present will be remembered if it is beautiful, and even in the set with glasses. Well proven:
And Armenian cognacs such as:
- Ararat;
- Noah;
- Ani.
All of them meet quality requirements. Such a bottle can be handed without shame to any person, no matter what social class he belongs to.
Deciphering the stars and inscriptions:
- V.S - exposure 2-3 years;
- V.S.O.P - aging 4-6 years;
- V.V.S.O.P - from seven years and more;
- X.O - aging for more than six years;
- Three stars - shelf life of 3 years;
- Four stars - 4 years;
- Five stars - 5 years.
Focus on circumstances
Not everyone wants to shell out large sums for such gifts, or vice versa, they want to show their respect. Perhaps that is why it is worth focusing on the event or the occasion for which a person will receive a present. So, for example, if you are going to drink cognac with a friend to whom you gave it, you can purchase gift set with glasses inside.
If you need to present a gift to your boss, then it is better to pay attention to the quality of the product and beautiful packaging. You can also add related products to the presentation: cigars or an original lighter with an ashtray if the person smokes.
When you need to congratulate a veteran or an artist, then good cognac in a beautiful package, you should definitely add flowers.
