Hennessy
The world's best-known cognac house. Everything about the difference between VS, VSOP and XO, the taste, how to drink Hennessy and the glass in which it is best enjoyed.
Cognac from Charente, for more than 250 years
Hennessy is a cognac house founded in 1765 by Richard Hennessy, an Irish officer in French service, in the town of Cognac. Cognac is a brandy made from white grapes (mainly Ugni Blanc), distilled twice in copper stills and matured in French oak. Only what comes from the area around Cognac may bear the name.
Hennessy is now the world's largest cognac brand and part of Moët Hennessy (LVMH). The Fillioux family's master blenders have shaped its style for seven generations: round, full-bodied and rich in vanilla and dried fruit. From the approachable VS to the rare Paradis: the higher the classification, the longer the maturation.
In brief
What types of Hennessy are there?
The letters on the label indicate how long the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend has matured at minimum. Longer maturation means a rounder, woodier and more expensive cognac.
Hennessy VS
The entry-level bottle and the world's best-selling cognac. Lively, slightly spicy, with vanilla and toasted wood.
Hennessy VSOP Privilège
Rounder and smoother than VS: cinnamon, dried fruit and a long, warm finish. The all-rounder.
Hennessy XO
The 1870 blend in its iconic decanter. Deep and rich: cocoa, candied sugar, spices and candied fruit.
Hennessy Paradis
Blend of dozens of very old eaux-de-vie. Silky smooth, floral and endlessly long. For special moments.
Hennessy VS 35 cl
The same VS in a smaller bottle. Convenient for trying or as a gift.
Hennessy VS Flask
Flat flask for on the go or in the cooler. Same cognac, smaller format.
VS for cocktails and cola, VSOP if you want to drink it neat.
Warm, round and full of vanilla and dried fruit
Vanilla, wood & dried fruit
Sweet vanilla from the oak, raisins and apricot, with a hint of floral notes in the older blends.
Round and lightly spicy
Soft and full, with caramel, cinnamon and a subtle spiciness from the young eaux-de-vie in the VS.
Long and warm
The warmth lingers, with toasted wood and a hint of cocoa. The older the blend, the longer the finish.
Flavor profile of Hennessy VS. VSOP is rounder and sweeter, XO deeper and woodier.
Three ways to drink Hennessy
Drink cognac at room temperature or with ice, never straight from the freezer. The glass determines how much of the aroma you capture.
Neat
Pour 30 to 40 ml of VSOP or XO into a cognac glass or tulip glass. Warm the glass in your hand for a moment, swirl and smell before drinking. No ice: it traps the aromas.
Glass: cognac glass →On the rocks
VS or VSOP over one large ice cube in a tumbler. The ice takes the edge off and makes the cognac more approachable. Small ice melts too quickly.
Glass: tumbler →Hennessy & ginger
50 ml VS, 150 ml ginger ale, plenty of ice and a lime wedge in a highball glass. The best-known way to mix cognac, also delicious with cola.
Glass: highball glass →The best cocktails with Hennessy
Sidecar
Cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice, shaken and served ice-cold in a coupe with a sugared rim.
Brandy Alexander
Cognac, crème de cacao and cream with nutmeg. Dessert in a glass.
Sazerac
The cocktail from New Orleans was originally made with cognac. With absinthe, bitters and sugar.
French 75
Usually made with gin, but the original recipe uses cognac. With lemon, sugar and champagne.The right glass for Hennessy
Cognac belongs in a bulb-shaped glass that you warm in your hand when drinking it neat; on the rocks, use a heavy tumbler. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about Hennessy
Can't find your question here? Check out our cocktail recipes or contact us.
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