Noy Classic 10 Year

After trying several Armenian brandies from Ararat, I decided to branch out to Noy. Overall I don't find this as appealing as Ararat, although it's tasty enough. The aroma is largely a pretty basic grape spirit, with an acidic, almost vinegary note. If I stick with it for a bit I get whiffs of richer things like spice cake and plums, but those are not so prominent. Overall it doesn't have a particularly powerful smell. The palate has more grape with a slightly wine-y tannic character. There is some oak and a generic fruitiness like concord grape jelly. This is probably making it sound bad but it's not, it's just kind unpretentiously basic, like a hamburger that's cooked well but doesn't have any special seasonings. I find I like it more if I don't pay attention to it too much. I can just sit and sip it while reading or something and be like, yeah, that was nice. My preference is more for the deeper, doughier, spicier things in brandy and this is more towards the sharper and astringent end. It's plenty enjoyable though. One random point that has no bearing on anything: the bottle is very nice-looking, but is a bit awkward to pour from. At $28 it's decent for the price. I probably won't get this again but wouldn't rule out Noy in the future.