Noy (officially stylized as NOY), is an Armenian brandy (cognac-style) that has been produced by the Yerevan Ararat Brandy Factory since 1877. It was first known as "Armenian cognac" until 1899, when it was branded as "Shustov". With the establishment of Soviet Armenia in 1920, the production of Armenian brandy was nationalized and the brandy was popularized as "Shustov" until 1940, when the drink was labeled as "Ararat", after the re-organization of Armenian brandy production. After the independence of Armenia, the factory was privatized in 2002 and the produced brandy was re-labeled as NOY. It is made from Armenian grapes of Armavir and Vayots Dzor regions, and spring water, based on traditional methods.
History
The Yerevan Ararat Brandy Factory was founded by the Armenian merchant and philanthropist Nerses Tairyan in 1877, within the territory of the former Erivan Fortress. First, he started his industry with wine production. Soon after, he started to produce Armenian brandy as well. In 1899–1900, the factory was acquired by the Russian businessman and wine-maker Nikolay Shustov. In 1920, Armenia became part of the Soviet Union and the economy was entirely nationalized.
The current facilities of the factory were built in 1938 on the site of the former sardar palace of the Erivan Fortress.[1]