Hennessy is the biggest name in Cognac by a distance, selling more bottles than the rest of the great houses combined. It was founded by an Irish soldier, it invented the XO category, and it remains the golden standard against which all other Cognac is judged. This is a full guide to Hennessy and the range we stock at House of Decant.

Richard Hennessy, an officer from County Cork, settled in the Charente and founded the house in 1765. Two and a half centuries later it is part of the Moet Hennessy empire and a global icon, yet the craft at its heart has barely changed: twice-distilled white wine, aged patiently in French oak, then blended with extraordinary skill from a vast library of eaux-de-vie.

VS, VSOP, XO

Hennessy's range is the clearest way to learn the language of Cognac. VS, aged at least two years, is bright and punchy, the natural choice for cocktails and long drinks. XO, or Extra Old, is the serious tier, a blend of up to a hundred eaux-de-vie aged for many years into something deep and layered. Hennessy effectively created the XO category in 1870, when Maurice Hennessy blended one for his own circle; the whole world's most prestigious Cognac shorthand started here.

The Range We Stock

We carry the house at both ends. The VS is the versatile workhorse, superb in a Sidecar or simply long over ice, while the XO is the after-dinner statement, rich with dried fruit, dark chocolate, leather and spice. We also stock the XO in its striking limited-edition Chinese New Year livery, the identical cognac dressed for the occasion and a natural gift.

What It Tastes Like

The VS is all bright grape, vanilla and a little oak spice, clean and warming. The XO is a different world: candied orange, fig, cocoa, toasted nut and a long, spiced finish, a Cognac to sip slowly and think about. Between them they show the range of the spirit, from the mixing glass to the fireside, and the sheer depth of blending that a house of this scale can call on.

How to Drink It

Pour the VS into a Cognac cocktail, or long over ice with a twist. Serve the XO neat, at room temperature, in a tulip glass that concentrates the aromas, and give it time; this is a spirit to savour after dinner, ideally with a square of dark chocolate. There is no need to warm the glass over a flame, an old ritual that does more harm than good.

Hennessy is the place to start with Cognac. For the whole category explained see our Cognac buyer's guide, and for the other great house we stock, read our profile of Remy Martin.

Being the biggest is rarely the same as being the best, but Hennessy manages both, which is why its bottles turn up everywhere from a corner bar to a collector's cabinet. Two and a half centuries on from an Irish soldier's gamble, it is still the name that Cognac is measured against.