Words by Colin Hampden-White
From VS, VSOP, XO and vintage, there is a lot of confusion around Cognac. Some Cognac seems to be very reasonably priced, and yet others, without seemingly any rhyme or reason, are excruciatingly expensive. It is about time The Three Drinkers explained and cleared up Cognac.
The various letters are names of age statements for Cognac. Below is how they stack up:
VS: Meaning “Very Special” and can also be called ✯✯✯ or Three stars. This is Cognac which has been aged in barrels for at least two years.
VSOP: Meaning “Very Superior Old Pale” or Reserve. This is Cognac which is a blend of barrels of which the youngest is at least four years old.
Napoleon: This is Cognac which is at least six years old.
XO: Meaning “Extra Old”. This is Cognac of which the youngest in the blend is at least ten years old. This came into force in April 2018, so if you have a bottle of XO from before then the youngest Cognac in the blend had to be six years old.
XXO: Meaning “Extra Extra Old”. This has Cognac in the blend which is at least 14 years old.
Hors d’âge: Means “Beyond Age”. This is a designation given by the Cognac governing body, which is equal to XO, but is used by brands as marketing to sell products that are high quality and beyond the official age statements.
Vintage: Some Cognacs have a vintage date on them. This is the date of distillation. Many Cognacs do not put the bottling date on them, so it is difficult to define the actual age of the Cognac inside.
I drink quite a bit of Cognac and have a few favourites I’d like to share. These are of all price points and ages. I hope you find something that suits your palate and pocket.
VS
Courvoisier VS
This is a great starter for Cognac. It isn’t the most complex, but it still has lots of flavour, can be found in most shops and is a classic. It was the Cognac of choice for Napoleon who took huge amounts of it with him in exile. It goes well on the rocks and mixes well too, especially with ginger ale or tonic.
Size: UK 700ml // US 375ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £29.95 // US $19.99
VSOP
Rémy Martin VSOP
One of the most popular VSOP Cognacs around it is very consistent and well worth the little extra. This is a Cognac that both mixes well giving any cocktail a good dollop of rich Cognac flavours, but can also stand on its own without ice. With berry fruits on the nose and lots of honey and vanilla, dried fruits and a little spice on the palate, there is good complexity putting this at the top of my VSOP list.
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £36.95 // US $49.99
XO
There are lots of styles of XO. I am choosing two very different styles here. One which is big and rich and the other refined and finessed. The two show how different Cognac can be.
Hennessy XO
A big, rich brooding Cognac with lots of dark dried fruit flavours, bitter chocolate and coffee. It serves well with a lot of ice in a balloon glass or big wine glass on a hot sunny day, as well as neat by a fire after dinner on a cold winter evening and pairs beautifully with cigars. Hennessy is the best-selling Cognac by volume in the world and this expression shows why. The term XO was created in the 19th century especially for this Cognac.
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £162 // US $324.99
Frapin Chateau de Fontpinot XO
Frapin is known for making elegant Cognacs with finesse and Frapin Chateau de Fontpinot is an excellent example of the house style. It is a single state Cognac and one of the best XO Cognacs in the Grand Champagne region. With lots of fruity and floral aromas and flavours it still has richness, but a refined quality throughout.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 41%
Find here: £175
Delamain Pleiade Ancestral
Delamain are known for long aged Cognacs with intensity, but also delicacy. This expression has plenty of both with great complexity. There are lots of summer flowers and rich baked fruit flavours with a touch of spice and vanilla custard. Only 180 bottles were produced making it a rare Cognac. When Delamain reduce the spirit before bottling, they do it very gently by adding a mix of water and spirit which has had time to marry and therefore doesn’t shock the delicate Cognac when it is reduced in alcohol for bottling.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £475
Hermitage 50 Year Old
This is one of the most impressive Cognacs I have ever tasted. It won the trophy medal for Cognac at the IWSC I judged in 2021 beating Cognacs which were even older than this dating back to the 19th Century. There is so much complexity with chocolate, coffee, rich dark dried fruits, and also soft floral notes and delicate spice. It’s definitely a Cognac to savour.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 41%
Find here: £485
Hennessy Paradis
This expression of Hennessy was created in 1979 by Maurice Fillioux who was a master blender at Hennessy. He used a selection of eaux-de-vie (new spirit) which had been laid down by his grandfather. Typical of the house style this is a rich Cognac, but also has fresh floral notes and blossom. There is plenty of spice with cinnamon and pepper, a little honey and dried citrus peel. It is very well balanced and has a long finish.
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £995 // US $1799.99
Frapin Cuvée Rabelais
My favourite Cognac of them all. Not a Cognac for every day, and not a Cognac I could afford to buy, but having tasted a generous sample I am now playing the lottery again. If you can afford this level of Cognac, then this is for you. There are other Cognacs I have tried at this price point, and they are very very good, but this one somehow just pips them to the post. There is an elegance like no other, and flavours which hark back to the century before last. Dusty books and old mahogany furniture. Soft spice and very gentle fine oak. Sandalwood and a touch of beeswax lie underneath light floral notes from a summer meadow. The Cognac is very complex and increases in complexity as it is left to air and oxygen interacts with it. They say one should drink a drink the way you want it. And should you want to mix this with coke, I certainly wouldn’t stop you I hope you enjoy it. But for me, this is a singular pleasure.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £7500
One last word
Not strictly in the Cognac category, but there is another spirit which has caught my attention lately. Typically an unchanged, and great recipe for many years Grand Marnier has been a blend of Cognacs, bitter orange essence and sugar. They have now created some very special expressions.
Grand Marnier Révélation
This expression is made from some very aged Grande Champagne Cognacs and Bigaradia essence. There are aromas of vanilla and nuts with intense honeysuckle floral notes. On the palate there are dried fruits including apricots and bitter orange peel which continue long into the finish.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £615
Grand Marnier Quintessence
This limited edition from Grand Marnier takes the finest Grand Champagne Cognac infused with orange using Grand Marnier’s double parfum Method. It is hugely complex and includes Cognacs from 1875, 1906, and 1955. There are lots of toasted orange and nuts on the nose followed by peach on the plate along with floral notes.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £1895
If you enjoyed this make sure you check out 4 Things You Need To Know About Cognac or One Drink, Three Ways: Remy Martin VSOP Cognac!