How to independently distinguish real cognac "Lezginka"

Cases of poisoning with counterfeit alcohol have become more frequent in Russia. Lezginka cognac is no exception - fake products of this brand are found on store shelves in all regions of the country. Signs that you should pay attention to when buying a drink will help to distinguish the original from the counterfeit.

Founding history

Strong alcohol under the brand name "Lezginka" is produced by the cognac factory in Kizlyar - one of the largest specialized enterprises in the Russian Federation.

Distilleries in the Dagestan city appeared in the XVII-XVIII centuries. The locals made light wines and vodka. Using the method of aging in oak barrels, they got kizlyarka - a drink that resembled cognac. Good taste qualities of such alcohol were also noted by European guests.

In 1885, the distilleries were merged into an enterprise, which later became a cognac factory. The prototype of "Lezginka" was the vintage brandy "Kizlyarsky aged" produced here, in the creation of which spirits over 6 years old were used.

It was introduced in 1955, and 8 years later the original Lezginka appeared. The drink was awarded several gold, silver medals and a platinum quality mark of the XXI century. He received his first major prize in 1963 at the All-Union tasting in Yerevan.

Features of real cognac "Lezginka"

In the production of cognac, grape varieties Rkatsiteli, Scarlet Tersky, Riesling, Levokumsky are used. Raw materials are harvested in mid-autumn, subjected to pressing, settling, fermentation, distillation in pot stills. The resulting material is aged for at least 6 years in barrels of mountain Caucasian oak.

For blending, distillates of different aging are used. The oldest material is 30 years old.

Its used volume is small, but important for the formation of the bouquet. In 2019, under the Lezginka brand, the plant produced ordinary 3- and 5-year-old cognacs.

The main characteristics of the original drink, which has been produced since 1963, are presented in the table.

Parameter	Cognac Feature
Category	Vintage
Fortress	40%
Sugar content	15 g/dm³
Color	Dark amber, intense
Texture	Oily
Bouquet	Multifaceted, pronounced, with hints of flowers, fruits, hazelnuts
Taste	The main tones are nutty and oaky with the addition of dried fruits and dark chocolate. The finish is long and elegant, with a predominance of vanilla shades.
calories	230 kcal per 100 g
Output volume	Glass - 0.1; 0.25; 0.5 l, flask - 0.7 l

Ways to distinguish from a fake

Due to its popularity among Russians, the drink attracted the attention of manufacturers of counterfeit alcohol. They create low-quality products and pour them into containers that look like the original. In the store you can not taste the contents to feel the difference. But there are criteria that will allow you to visually identify a fake.

By appearance

The plant takes measures to protect its products from piracy in the field of alcoholic beverages. The design becomes more complicated, security marks are used by which the original can be identified. The manufacturer changed the design of the container in 2017, and 2 types of branded bottles can be found on sale.

Read also: what is burnt vodka, and how to check it in the store?

Their main features:

1. Package. Alcohol is bottled in classic cognac form bottles. They are made of thick transparent glass and are marked with the brand of the container manufacturer on the bottom. When viewed from the outside, one can distinguish the engraved numbers 1885 in the oval window (at the base of the elongated throat) and the corporate abbreviation KKZ in the lower part. The inscriptions should be easy to read and be voluminous. In fakes, they are of poor quality, flat, and the numbers are not framed in an oval.
2. Neck. The decorative protective film in this part contains information about the release date of alcohol and the batch number. A laser marking method is used, which requires expensive equipment. It is difficult for fraudsters to fake such an inscription.
3. Bottle capping. The protective cork is shaped like a vodka bottle. It is made of porous oak and covered with a thin film. For fakes, it can be made of metal, plastic, pressed wood.

Taste

You can determine the fake during the tasting.

After the first sip, the original reveals such taste intonations:

• spicy fruits;
• nuances of cashew, almond, jam;
• velvety vanilla aftertaste.

Sharp alcohol notes, bitterness in taste are unusual for the original. It is not recommended to drink such cognac.

Label

The bright label shimmers in the light. Selective UV varnishing is visible across its entire field in reflected light, and a strip of golden color runs along the perimeter. The original does not have traces of glue and bubbles on the surface of the material.

Its main features:

1. Brand logo. This is a portrait of Bagration, a native of Kizlyar and a hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. The general's face and hair are fully visible. In fakes, the image may hide part of the head. The portrait is framed by oak leaves. They have relief embossing (embossed surface, which is noticeable when touched).
2. The name of the drink is raised above the plane of the label.
3. Below the inscription is a drawing depicting a man and a woman in the Lezginka dance against the backdrop of the Caucasus Mountains.

In the design of the original, there is clarity and relief of small elements. The design of the fake is not of high quality detail.

Manufacturer code

The manufacturer has provided the ability to verify the authenticity of the drink by barcode. This can be used even if the container is not in doubt.

When buying or before using Lezginka, you should go to the official website of the manufacturer, select the page with the code verification form and enter the numbers below the graphic image.

Excise stamp

The fiscal stamp proves the authenticity of the drink and has several degrees of protection:

• on the coating next to the barcode is the name of the plant, product type and region code - 05;
• protective element - paper with red fiber distributed over the entire surface;
• microtext and DATAMATRIX square (when scanning it with a smartphone, the brand number appears);
• on the reverse side of the sticker there is a guilloche ornament with the RF abbreviation.

Price

It is not recommended to purchase a drink with a volume of 0.5 liters if it costs less than 700 rubles. Below this price, the original is sold only at a promotion or in a company store located in Kizlyar.

Cognac "Lezginka" is important to purchase in reliable alcohol stores, whose employees can provide documents confirming the quality of alcohol.

If in doubt about the authenticity of the drink, the purchase should be abandoned. The use of counterfeit can be harmful to health, especially if it contains methyl alcohol.

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