Worldwide, cognac is clearly more famous than brandy, a spirit distilled from wine that was the cup of European royalty and aristocrats for 300 years, and is now the "eaux-de-vie" loved by many drinkers. In order to distinguish between brandy and cognac, it is first necessary to clarify two concepts: first, all spirits obtained by distillation based on fruit wine can be called brandy; Second, within the geographical scope of the Cognac region of France, several specific white grapes are used to make wine, which is distilled twice, and the resulting white brand can be called cognac.
 
Founded in 1765 by LVMH, Hennessy is part of LVMH and is the latest of the three cognacs. Although it started decades late, Hennessy has moved much faster, ranking first in the world for many years, according to data provided by the French Cognac Council, from April 2017 to March 2018, 200 million bottles of French cognac were shipped, half of which were produced by Hennessy.
 
The current grading system of cognac was created by Hennessy: in 1817, due to the special request of the British crown prince, Hennessy created the first cognac V.S.O.P, in 1865, Hennessy pioneered the cognac grading system, marking the quality of cognac by the number of stars, and in 1870, Hennessy first introduced X.O, which further improved the cognac grade.
 
The strength of the Cognac House lies in the volume of wines, and Hennessy's cellars contain more than 300,000 barrels of high-quality cognacs, including rare and old wines that have been aged for more than 100 years, and are the basis for the creation of Hennessy cognacs. It was the Fervo family who created these wines. Since the 19th century, each generation of this winemaker from the Cognac region has had a member serve as a Master Blender of Hennessy, tasting a vast array of aged brandies, blending them to the same level and creating new ones.
 
Xindian is the youngest cognac under Hennessy, with no grade labeling, roughly between V.S and V.S.O.P, and the price is about 300 yuan. As a product of Hennessy to open up the Chinese market, Xindian will target young scenes such as parties, nightclubs, music festivals, etc., with a spicy taste with mint flavors, which will minimize the threshold for tasting cognac, and it is also suitable for cocktail drinking.
 
The first cognac tasting recommendation starts with V.S.O.P, which in the French cognac classification refers to all wines used for blending that have been aged for more than 4 years. V.S.O.P is Hennessy's best-selling wine, priced at around 400 yuan, it has aromas of vanilla and cinnamon, and shows a certain oak aroma, smooth in the mouth, full and balanced. Hennessy V.S.O.P can be drunk neat or on the rocks, or mixed into a cocktail.
 
X.O is one level higher than V.S.O.P, and all the top cognacs belong to X.O. Hennessy X.O is a classic of the Maison, made from more than 100 "eaux-de-vie", which are easy to capture due to their extremely long ageing, complex structure and aromas. It is recommended to enjoy Hennessy X.O neatly or on the rocks, leaving plenty of room to savor the rich layers.
 
Paradis is the cellar of the Hennessy family, which in 1979 led Maurice Fairveau to create another of Hennessy's top cognacs, Paradis. Paradis combines more than 100 varieties of high-aged eaux-de-vie with a delicate and smooth taste, a floral aroma that can be enjoyed with premium chocolate. The Hennessy Paradis decanter has a simple design and a fully transparent bottle that makes the wine more clear and translucent, and the price is nearly 7,500 yuan, which is an excellent choice for business gifts.
 
Richard was the founder of the Hennessy legend, and in his honor, Hennessy created a cognac that remains at the top of Hennessy and the entire cognac world. This cognac is made from a blend of nearly 100 rare original spirits between 40 and 200 years old, and the hand-blown crystal decanter, each bottle is marked with a corresponding number, and the price is high, with a market price of nearly 30,000 yuan, which is the most popular cognac treasure for high-end collectors.