THE BOTTLE for Karpatské Brandy Špeciál, or KBŠ as it is familiarly known in Slovakia, has undergone a redesign. Vitis Pezinok, the producer of the brandy, which has a golden-amber colour, strong bouquet and full-bodied taste, also produces several wine labels and other distilled spirits. The new design for the KBŠ bottle was unveiled in early December. The label, featuring a dominant medieval knight and five stars was also significantly modified, the company said.
“We were considering a change in the design of the Karpatské Brandy Špeciál bottle for some period of time,” said Miroslav Tkáč, the company’s director for trade and marketing, adding that since Vitis Pezinok is constantly seeking to improve the quality of its brandy, it did not neglect improving the design of the bottle either.
The knight on the bottle’s label is inspired by the legend of Stibor, a 14th century aristocrat from Stiborice known for his bravery. The story claims that brandy was behind Stibor’s legendary courage – it has been said that after a losing battle against the Ottomans, Stibor rescued the Hungarian king and then jumped into the Danube River and swam across it even though he was wearing heavy armour.
The company said the label’s five stars represent the minimum period in years that the brandy is aged in oak barrels, guaranteeing its quality. Brandy production at the company goes back to the 1930s.
Tkáč said the popularity of KBŠ is based on its high quality as demonstrated by the various awards it has collected across the world, for example winning the silver medal in its category at the Vinalies Overseas exhibition held in China last July.
