Busting six myths about Hennessy cognac

Our Hennessy cognac comes from the small town of Cognac, where eaux-de-vies slumber in oak barrels in monastic silence. It is a treasure surrounded by myths, myths that today can be turned into facts.

Myth: "Cognac and cognac have the same meaning."

Fact: Cognac (with the capital C) is the city of Cognac in France. In contrast, cognac (with c in lower case) is the spirit produced under strict specifications, in other words: the cognac drink can only be produced in the Cognac region.

Did you know?
At the heart of the Cognac region is the picturesque town of Cognac which is also the home of Hennessy!




Myth: "A bottle of Hennessy cognac evolves and ages when in the bottle."

Fact: It doesn't age in the sense that it doesn't mature, doesn't concentrate, nor does it get any better. A cognac ages and matures in oak barrels only.

Did you know?
It's very exceptional and depends solemnly on the cork's tightness, but if a cognac (or any other spirit) would to evolve slightly, it wouldn't be towards an improvement of its quality and taste!

Myth: "Hennessy V.S.O.P and a Hennessy V.S are the same, only aged older."

Fact: Hennessy V.S.O.P is not V.S aged older! There are distinct characters with distinctive histories, and they differ in selection, maturation, and assemblage. The selection, the ageing and the blending are specific to each of them.

Did you know?
Each blend has a specific selection of "eaux-de-vie", each with an origin, a dedication, a potential, and a particular maturation path.



Myth: "The blends for Hennessy V.S, V.S.O.P and X.O have changed drastically since the origin of the products in the 18th century."

Fact: False! We are confident that very little difference could be found despite all the contextual changes occurring since then, such as the phylloxera crisis, different cultivation methods, advanced technology, weather conditions etc. Hennessy Master Blenders and their teams have always worked very carefully to keep the qualities up to the highest level of consistency.

Did you know?
Each final blend is always compared to the previous ones by Hennessy's Tasting Committee: they aim to duplicate the same character and style year after year.

Myth: "The Hennessy X.O is more expensive than Hennessy V.S.O.P because it is better."

Fact: No. Renaud Fillioux de Gironde, our Master Blender, doesn't consider a cognac more qualitative than others if this is what "better" means. The elaboration process is equally careful from A to Z for all "eaux-de-vie" regardless of their destinations; for instance, there is no specific way to distil or no difference in the quality of barrels. Young "eaux-de-vie" and matured ones are brought up equally with quality in mind. Something that is never compromised on.

Did you know?
The price difference between those two is a matter of rarity: All the expressions have the same quality, but some are composed of rarer "eaux-de-vie" in terms of aromatic profiles due to their origin, their maturing mode and duration, and their assemblage pattern.



Myth: "The best way to get the aroma of cognac out of the glass is to warm it over a flame."

Fact: Cognac being a delicate and sensual elixir, at first is a feast to the eyes, then to the nose and then the palate. And it is no surprise that aroma is a huge part of that experience. But forcing the aroma out by heating it with a flame is far more than you need, and frankly, it'll get you nowhere and serve you no good. In fact, such a tactic could be painful for you and the cognac.

Did you know?
The best way to get the aromas out of the cognac is to simply cup the bowl of the snifter in your hand. The warmth of your hand will warm the liquid enough to permit it to escape, and you'll be able to enjoy it fully.