Ararat Yerevan Brandy Company

The Ararat Yerevan Brandy Company, also known as the Yerevan Brandy Company, operates from a historic complex at 2 Admiral Isakov Avenue in Yerevan, Armenia, near the Hrazdan river gorge. The company traces its origins to the late nineteenth century, when a distillery was established in the Armenian capital, and it grew into the country's best-known producer of brandy under the Ararat brand. Brandy production in Armenia relies on local grape varieties, double distillation and ageing in oak barrels, and the visit explains this process. Tours generally begin in the museum area with displays on the company's history, before moving through the production halls and barrel cellars, where aged spirits rest in rows of oak casks. The tour finishes in a tasting room where visitors sample several brandies of different ages, with a guide describing aroma, colour and flavour. The company also has a shop where bottles can be bought, including limited-age releases. Tours run by reservation, with English departures reported at midday and later in the afternoon, and prices rise with the number and age of tastings. The tasting-only tour is cheaper than the longer cellar-and-tasting option. A visit takes one to two hours. Visitors should check in at reception about ten minutes before the tour and are advised to book ahead, particularly in the summer months. Morning or late afternoon tours are common choices. The site is a taxi ride of around ten minutes from Republic Square, and the complex is close to the gorge walkway. Because the tour centres on alcohol, it is aimed at adults, and visitors should not drive after tasting.