Hennessy is an amazing bottles which headquarters located in France at cognac. The Hennessy cognac distillery was founded by Irish Jacobite military officer Richard Hennessy in 1765.
You may think, that with Hennessy’s ability to innovate and push boundaries, they are a thoroughly ‘modern’ Cognac brand. This is a large part of their immense success and influence.
Hennessy is the largest cognac house in the world. Founded by Irish immigrant Richard Hennessy, the House of Hennessy commands approximately 40% of the world cognac market.
Hennessy produces a full range of quality products from its V.S. to Paradise cognacs. Hennessy is now owed by French luxury goods conglomerate Moet-Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
Hennessy: A Short History
Hennessy Short life line: Born in 1765 at the hands of an Irish military man named Richard Hennessy, the Hennessy brand name has managed to stay quite relevant for over 250 years.
Purchased over time by other high-end brands like Moet et Chandon, Louis Vuitton, and even having connections with Christian Dior, Hennessy stays fixed in the lap of luxury.
Products List Guide
- Hennessy V.S
- Privilége V.S.O.P
- Hennessy X.O
- Hennessy X.X.O
- Hennessy Master Blender’s selection
- Hennessy Paradis
- Richard Hennessy
- James Hennessy
- Hennessy Paradis Imperial
- Hennessy 8
- Hennessy Timeless
- Hennessy Ellipse
- Hennessy Black
- Hennessy Pure White
- Hennessy Classivm
Background on Cognac Bottles
Many will call Hennessy a brandy; Cognac is a type of brandy made from grapes or wine. It is technically a cognac, however, Brandies, generally speaking, are any distilled spirit made from fermented fruit.
Made in a region called Cognac, France, Hennessy is officially a cognac. By rule, cognac must be double distilled utilizing a copper pot still.
Cognac is often a blend of multiple Eaux-de-vie (literally meaning water of life but referring to the distilled wine product with very fruity flavors). Cognac will spend time aging in Limousin or Tronçais oak casks and the finished product must be 40% ABV.
Collectors’ All Hennessey Bottles
There is no doubt that ‘Henny’ culture is alive and kicking: both Cognac and a fifth of Hennessy are mentioned in what seems like hundreds of songs. Bottles list are given below.
| Collector bottle | Year released | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hennessy VS “44” | 2009 | Honor of 44th president Barack Obama | |
| Hennessy VS “NUL” | 2010 | National Urban League | |
| Hennessy VS “BOA” | 2010 | Blending of Art (five different bottles with two designers per) | |
| Hennessy VS “KAWS” | 2011 | New York graffiti artist KAWS design | |
| Hennessy Fine De Cognac and Tea | 2011 | Tea House Maison de Thé Théodor | |
| Hennessy VSOP Helios | 2011 | Gold Bottle (named after Greek god of sun) | |
| Hennessy VSOP “NyX” | 2011 | Platinum bottle (label glows under black light) | |
| Hennessy VSOP Kyrios | 2012 | Black bottle (3D label) | |
| Hennessy VSOP Depuis | 2013 | Red bottle | |
| Hennessy XO Odyssey | 2007–11 | Released every year since 2007 (2011 bottle sits on rock formation) | |
| Hennessy Kenzo | 1997–99 | Fashion designer Kenzo (subsidiary of LVMH) | |
| Hennessy Red Book | 2011 | Levandovka filling | |
| Hennessy X Futura | 2012 | New York graffiti artist Futura | |
| Hennessy Luminous | 2013 | Brand name on label has luminous glow | |
| Hennessy VS x Scott Campbell | 2016 | ||
| Hennessy VS x Jon One | 2017 | ||
| Hennessy VSOP x John Maeda | 2017 | ||
| Hennessy X.O x Marc Newson | 2017 | ||
| Hennessy VS x Vhils | 2018 | ||
| Hennessy VS x Felipe Pantone | 2019 |
Hennessy was the favourite drink of Kim Jong-il, former Supreme Leader of North Korea. Hennessy once reported that Kim spent over $700,000 a year on Paradis cognac
Curtesy: About this Hennessy Bottles Section Wikipedia
Cognacs are So Expensive For a Reason
Hennessy narrows the ingredient list down even further by using the Ugni Blanc grape exclusively. The Ugni Blanc is described as fruity, with some citrus notes, lending itself to being ideal for production into the Eaux-de-vie blends that will become cognac.
The reasoning behind the higher average price point can seem elusive but can really be pinned down to one thing: specificity of ingredients. Cognac must be made in the Cognac region of France. It is required to be made from white wine grapes grown in the region.
While other spirits can be made with inexpensive products like wheat, barley, or other cheap grains and products, cognac requires the premium ingredient of grapes grown in a very specific place.
In addition, cognac features blends of multiple types of fermented product varying in age. Simply put, cognac is expensive because it is made from expensive things.
The Alphabet Explained
If we have all had a moment to catch our breath from some of those prices, let’s talk about the letters that spell out some mysterious code on the bottles. In reality, it is not that tricky of a code.
If you look at the price chart below, you can see several Hennessy varieties followed by some letters. These letters are utilized throughout the cognac industry, so you may see them on other brands of cognac as well. Let’s look at what those letters mean:
Hennessy VS: Very Special; this indicates that the youngest in the blend is at least two years old.
Hennessy XO: Extra Old; Be sure not to call anyone XO out there! As of April 2016, this means that the youngest in the blend is at least ten years old.
Hennessy VSOP Privilege: Very Special Old Pale; indicates that the youngest in the blend is at least four years old; however, these are often far older blends.
Hennessy Brand Average Prices 2021 [ all time]
The cost differs a lot. Let’s have a look at a selection of bottle prices (in order): The youngest VS can be purchased for € 25 or € 30.
Hennessy Pure White should be sold at a price of about € 30 to € 40, and a bottle of Hennessy Fine VSOP Champagne price is about € 50, The XO cost is € 150.
Hennessy Richard is at a price of about € 2000 and Hennessy Prestige Ellipse price at a massive € 7600. Finally, the price of luxury flagship Hennessy Beauté du Siècle is € 180 000.
| Type | Size | Price | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hennessy VS | 375ml | $17.99 – $19.99 | 80 |
| 750ml | $33.99 – $38.99 | 80 | |
| 1L | $49.99 – $52.99 | 80 | |
| 1.75L | $74.99 – $82.99 | 80 | |
| Hennessy XO | 750ml | $199.99 – $229.99 | 80 |
| Hennessy pure white | 750ml | $94.99 – $139.99 | 80 |
| Hennessy Black | 750ml | $39.99 – $46.99 | 80 |
| Hennessy VSOP Privilege | 750ml | $51.99 – $58.99 | 80 |
| Hennessy Paradis | 750ml | $799.99 – $999.99 | 80 |
| Hennessy Paradis Imperial | 750ml | $2399.99 – $2799.99 | 80 |
| Hennessy Richard | 750ml | $3799.99 – $5499.99 | 80 |
| Hennessy VS Limited Edition | 750ml | $39.99 – $49.99 | 80 |
| Master Blender’s Selection No 2 | 750ml | $94.99 – $99.99 | 86 |
5 Things You Should Know About Hennessy Cognac
Hennessy is something you should absolutely know about, assuming you like smooth, rich tipples. Also if you like having the appearance of incredible swagger.
Hennessy has tried to broaden the appeal of the drink beyond its traditional base of older drinkers by introducing new products such as “Pure White”, “Hennessy Black” and Fine de Cognac and marketing them accordingly.
In honor of any family who can do eight generations of anything, here are a few facts about Hennessy worth knowing.
HENNESSY: THOROUGHLY FRENCH … BY WAY OF IRELAND.
Hennessy is Cognac, which is brandy made in Cognac, France. But the brand was created by an Irishman. Richard Hennessy was born to an aristocratic family in County Cork in 1724.
As was fairly common for a man of his stature, Hennessy left Ireland for continental Europe, where he fought for Louis XV’s army, founded Hennessy in 1765, and began the family legacy of getting very classy people drunk.
IN CASE YOU FORGOT, HERE’S WHAT COGNAC IS.
Cognac, and its older cousin Armagnac, are two glorious products of man’s eternal desire to turn anything and everything into alcohol. Both Cognac and Armagnac are grape brandies or, essentially, distilled wines with higher ABVs. Basic Hennessy is a combination of 40 distillations, which is then French-oak-barrel-aged and sipped — ideally with extreme classiness — out of a tulip-shaped snifter. The oak definitely has an impact on the brandy, but it’s subtler, often nutty or toasty, drying out richer Cognac notes like tender fruit, vanilla, and spice.
THE ALPHABET IS YOUR GUIDE TO HENNESSY.
The letters that come after the name Hennessy (V.S., X.O., V.S.O.P., etc.) are actually straightforward, useful ways to gauge a brandy’s impact on your palate — and your wallet. Fortunately for brandy drinkers, and the brandy curious, we wrote up a handy guide. But the gist of the letters is a guide to aging — “Very Old,” “Very Special,” “Extra Old,” and so forth.
THERE’S FANCY, AND THEN THERE’S HENNSSY FANCY.
Hennessy isn’t content being just a little fancy. It decided to partner with both Moët & Chandon and Louis Vuitton, apparently creating the world’s fanciest trifecta. Which is to say, if you can afford it, we suggest double-fisting Hennessy and Champagne while wearing exactly this.
WE LOVE NAS. NAS LOVES HENNESSY.
It’s also possible Nas loves the profitable “brand ambassador” endorsement deal he made with Hennessy, which is a delightful partnership for many reasons, but also because it led to a commercial where the “Time is Illmatic” phenom does the unthinkable and makes meaningful eye contact with people on a New York City subway.
(Of course, Nas isn’t the first or only hip hop artist to sip Cognac. As a writer for VinePair reported, “the word Hennessy or Cognac is mentioned in over 1,000 songs by such famed artists as Notorious BIG, 2Pac, Kanye West, Rick Ross, Nas, Dr. Dre, and 50 Cent.”)
Curtesy: Vinepair
Hennessy Comparisons Reviews that You Should Know
As you can imagine, the cognac community is quite tight-knit, given its small regional requirements. The majority of the more popular cognacs originate around the same time frame (early to mid 1700s). Here is a list of alternatives to Hennessy that are quite popular in their own right and similar in price point.
| Brand | Origin Date | Style | Typical Price Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gautier | 1755 | VSOP | $40 |
| Remy Martin | 1727 | 1738 Accord Royal | $50 |
| Camus | 1863 | VSOP | $55 |
| Prunier | 1701 | VSOP | $73 |
As we have seen, cognac does have a higher price point than many spirits on the market. However, the time, ingredients, and creativity involved in the process explain why we should expect to pay a little more when searching for a good cognac.
Hennessy Paradis
Coming in just under the $1000 price point, Hennessy Paradis is named after a traditional cognac term. The term “Paradis” is used to describe the special hiding place cognac producers have to keep their oldest, most prized vintage cognacs. Imagine a cellar filled with old, dusty barrels teeming with aged cognac. This is Paradis.
Given its name, one could assume that this blend features many old, prized Eaux-de-vie amongst its ingredients. It would appear that the more finesse and consideration a cognac requires, the higher its price may be.
With that, let’s look at the older, wiser, more expensive (about two grand more expensive, that is) brother to Paradis:
Paradis Imperial.
Hennessy Paradis Imperial
The Paradis Imperial comes with a ton of historic strings attached. This blend traces its roots all the way back to 1818. At the request of the Dowager Empress of Russia, Hennessy created this special blend as a gift for her son – a certain Tsar Alexander I.
How does this relate to the current Paradis Imperial? Well, master blender (and apparent history buff) Yann Fillioux decided he would like to recreate this once made masterpiece. After much research and utilizing some precious and old Eaux-de-vie, he was able to recreate the one time gift to the Tsar.
Richard Hennessy
Everyone wants to know what the most expensive bottle of Hennessy is. Well it’s not a secret! Richard Hennessy tops the charts at a whopping $4000+. As described by Maurice Richard-Hennessy, one time CEO of the Jas Hennessy & Co., it is a blend of the Grands Siècles (a unique and special blend of 100 Eaux-de-vie) some of which may date back to the 1800s.
Its namesake is obviously THE Richard Hennessy, founder of what is now the most popular cognac and largest producer in the world. Created in 1996, to honor the legacy of Richard Hennessy, it features blends from 40 – 200 years of aging. All that aging means only one thing – it is expensive…and probably quite a good cognac.
Hennessy Cocktail Recipes
While a cocktail may not be the first thing that comes to mind when discussing cognac, specifically Hennessy, it has become more and more popular to blend the more affordable cognacs into a tasty drink.
Hennessy recommends utilizing their VS or Black blends in cognac-based cocktails. Naturally, these recipes do not suggest using the $4000 Richard Hennessy. Here are some recipes to enjoy cognac in a new way.
The Sidecar
- Hennessy VS Cognac: 40ml
- Triple Sec: 10ml
- Lemon Juice: 10ml
- Orange Peel Slice: 1
- Ice: Cubed
The ice goes in a shaker. Cognac, lemon juice and triple sec also go in the same shaker. Shake very well. Strain it into the glass and do not forget to express the orange peel after pouring.
The Mint Julep
- Hennessy Black Cognac: 60ml
- Bitters: 2 shakes
- Simple Syrup: 10 ml
- Mint: 5 sprigs
- Ice: Crushed
First use your muscle to muddle one sprig of mint, with the simple syrup and bitters into the bottom of your glass. Take the muddled mint out. Now, pour ice into the same glass. In goes the cognac, whilst stirring. Add the mint sprigs as a garnish.
The Old Fashioned – Cognac Style
- Hennessy VS Cognac: 60ml
- Bitters: 5 shakes
- Sugar Cube: 1
- Soda Water: 1 splash
- Ice: 4 Large Cubes
- Orange Peel: 1 twist
Put the sugar cube in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass. Splash it with the bitters and the little soda water, then crush it up into the bottom of the glass. Add two ice cubes and 20 ml of cognac and stir. Add one ice cube and 20 ml of cognac and stir. Add last ice cube and 20 ml of cognac and stir. Garnish with the twist of orange peel.
Hennessy Today
Today, Hennessy is the leader in the Cognac business with international sales of around 50 million bottles a year. The company makes its biggest percentage of profit through international export.
With the consistent launch of new products like the bottles “Pure White”, “Hennessy Black”, or “Fine de Cognac”, Hennessy continues to open up to new markets.
The US Hip Hop scene is perhaps the best example. By making Cognac popular amongst Afro-American musicians, the drink has taken on a younger and more trendy image. Hennessy mixed drinks such as Hennessy and Red Bull (Crunk Juice) or cocktails like Sin (Cognac and Gin) have introduced a whole new customer range. Rappers like Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, P. Diddy and Kanye West are proclaimed Hennessy fans.
They are particularly noted for their global campaign with US rapper Nas, called Wild Rabbit in tandem with the VS Cognac.
