The Angels’ share

Let's look at us humans: angry with the air that steals a lot of booze from us, and not being able to take revenge on oxygen and hydrogen, we decide to find a scapegoat and blame the angelic hosts.
The Angels’ share… So it is called that percentage of the distillates that evaporates from the barrels during ripening. Usually it is 2%, but in summer, in the hottest areas, the Angels can decide to make it disappear even a huge 8%.
And in the Armenian brandy Ararat factory, where I have just arrived for a tasting visit, no exception is made.
It's April, it's still not too hot, but the smell of "flying alcohol" is penetrating.
We are in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, in the factory which has been producing an excellent brandy for about 130 years and exports it almost all over the world.

Old bottles in the museum

THE VISIT
In recent years, a guided tour here seems to be on the to-do list of every other tourist. An hour and a half to know the history of one of the symbols of Armenia: it's worth trying!
As I wait to enter with the other visitors, I enjoy the sun of a warm and serene afternoon. The group guide is a beautiful Armenian black-haired girl named Shushan. She calls us to collect and begins to talk - with her impeccable English - about the hopes of an armenian businessman of the late nineteenth century, Mr. Nerses Tayrian. Who would have thought that back in 1887, after the young man imported from France the method for Cognac production, he could find in the Ararat plateau, in the local vineyards and in the spring water, excellent allies to create a drink good enough to be exported all over the world? Well, that's exactly what happened (after all the auspices were great, it is said that it was Noah himself who planted the first vineyard at the foot of Mount Ararat, after the flood).
Getting to the desired result was not a walk, though. Nerses had to rely on the financial help of his relatives and friends and his tireless work. Much of the success also came from the curious methods of promotion that were reserved for this brandy: students and young boys and girls, well-dressed and appearing of excellent social background, were sent in the best restaurants, bars and hotels, not only in Armenia but also in Europe. At the end of the meal, or distractedly resting on the bar counter, they asked for a glass of Ararat brandy, which no one had ever heard of.
Then, the elegant, scandalized and horrified patrons left without consuming, grumbling that if the best restaurant - or bar - in the city did not have Ararat, there was no reason to stay any longer.
The poor owners of course ran to look for a salesman, for they had to own some of the precious and “famous” nectar… rest assured that, after a few hours, an order was already on its way to the Ararat headquarters.
A beautiful Guerrilla Marketing technique, we would say today.
Our guide takes us through the various areas of the factory, from the museum to production. Walking through the huge environments we never fail to smell the Angels’ share, even when we are distracted by the history of the first barrels, which from the origins until today are rigorously built and worked by hand with wood of at least 70 years of age.

The barrel wood needs to be at least 70 years old

We now pull out in front of the customized barrels. Every President or head of state that comes and visit the factory has to step on a scale, and receives as much brandy as his/her weight is, literally! (the producers were pretty concern when it was Boris Eltsin's turn...)
The liquid is put in a barrel for aging, and a plate with the name and date of the VIP in question is placed on the container, which remains available to the owner. Many photos with celebrities of all sorts can be seen on the walls in this section of the museum, above all a smiling George Clooney in the first row.

Customized barrel

THE TESTIMONIAL
Let's not forget then the biggest testimonial of the Ararat brandy: Sir Winston Churchill!
It is said that the British Prime Misiter tasted it for the first time no less than from the hands of Stalin, during the Yalta conference of 1945.
"Do you want something to drink?" I imagine Stalin asking this question, looking Churchill in the eye.
And he, with his big face, nods. “Why not? I need brandy to accompany my cigar as it should”.
It was love at first sight, well, sip. Sir Winston no longer left Ararat - so to speak - and Stalin ordered the Soviet ambassador in the UK to deliver a box with 12 bottles every month to the Prime Minister! It seems that the Soviet continued to send the boxes even after the death of Churchill, his heirs must have been have been happy ...
During the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the death of Sir Winston, a bottle ofthis precious brandy, decanted by the PM's inventories, was auctioned by Sotheby's for 120,000 dollars!
Speaking of auctions of famous brandy and wanting to close the circle of this story, I cannot fail to mention one of the latest films by Ken Loach, which is called… guess what… The Angels’ Share.
Here the trailer, which I really recommend. Unmissable.

THE TASTING
The visit to the factory ends with a proper tasting.
Finally, after so much talking about this brandy, we can as well taste it!
Shushan makes us settle down at the tables, where the glasses, carefully filled and covered, await us.

One of the two glasses ready for tasting: 3 and 10 years old brandy

She explains how to taste it correctly and advises us to alternate brandy with chocolate. Chocolate, especially dark, is ideal to accompany Ararat brandy, in addition to the famous dried apricots of this area.
Sip after sip, the two glasses are empty, and the general buzz goes down.
We take time to enjoy these moments, exchanging glances and jokes, and from a group of strangers we begin to be a group of people united by the same pleasure.
Well, let's do this toast with the Angels. Cheers!