Ararat 5 Star VS 5 Year Old Brandy
Ararat 5 Star VS 5 Year Old Brandy is a 40% ABV, 750mL Armenian brandy aged five years in Caucasian oak casks — a blend of specially selected brandy distillates that the brand describes as amber with a noble golden sheen, "as if sunrays are stored inside." Official notes offer bright caramel, toffee and fresh pastry tones with sweet peaches and plums, vanilla and cinnamon. Produced by the Yerevan Brandy Company in Armenia from indigenous white grapes, double-distilled in Charentais-style copper stills. Order it online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof) — official brand spec; one retailer claims 42%
- Size: 750mL (US bottle)
- Age: 5 years in Caucasian oak
- Origin: Yerevan, Armenia
- Production: indigenous Armenian grapes, Charentais-style double distillation, in-house cooperage
Five Years of Caucasian Oak
VS marks the five-year statement, and the 5 Star is ARARAT's classic core-range entry: distillates aged five years in Caucasian-oak casks from the company's own cooperage, proofed with spring water. Pair it with the rest of the Ararat range or browse our brandy collection.
Tasting Notes
Per the brand: amber with a noble golden sheen; bright taste with caramel tones, toffee and fresh homemade-pastry notes; flavor of sweet peaches and plums complemented by vanilla and cinnamon. The importer's sheet adds plum, peach, dried fruit and dark-chocolate aromas, with blackcurrant turning spicy on the palate.
How to Enjoy
Neat at room temperature in a snifter, or with one ice cube. Its pastry-sweet profile makes it a natural after-dinner pour alongside nuts or dried apricots.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does VS mean on Ararat 5 Star?
VS (Very Special) designates the five-year age statement — five years in Caucasian oak casks.
Is Ararat 5 Star a cognac or Armenian brandy?
Armenian brandy — made in Yerevan from Armenian grapes; the Charentais-style distillation is a shared technique, not a Cognac origin claim.
Is it 40% or 42% ABV?
The brand's official page and six corroborating sources state 40% ABV; a single US retailer lists 42% without support. We recommend checking the bottle before finalizing.
For a classic five-year Armenian brandy, buy Ararat 5 Star VS from Del Mesa Liquor online in San Diego, CA.