VS, VSOP, XO - you have seen the designations. Barring the first two, what exactly makes an XO? 

The Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) is the governing body for the cognac industry, responsible for setting and enforcing all labeling regulations. Under said regulations, XO means that an eau-de-vie has to have been aged for at least 10 years before it is bottled. This was a fairly new rule, however, as prior to a rule revamp in 2018, the youngest eau-de-vie only had to be aged for six years to garner XO status.

Of course, while the minimum is now 10 years, but it is not unknown for cognac producers to age their XOs for some time more, depending on how they wish the spirit to turn out.

Today, we'll be bringing you across the four iconic Cognac houses you probably would have seen at some point in time; Hennessy, Courvoisier, Rémy Cointreau and Martell.

The Martell swift and family crest (bottom).

Of the four, Martell's inception in 1715 allows it to hold the distinction of being the first to be founded. As the story goes, Jean Martell was a young merchant born on the English territory of Jersey Island in 1694. An island that was known for its smuggling activities, he soon became a smuggler, which may have drawn him into the trade of liquour.

In 1715, he established his own trading business in Gatebourse, Cognac, on the banks of the Charente River, marking the beginning of Maison Martell. The swift — along with the Martell house crest — became the logo for his brand

Rémy Martin was founded in 1724 slightly after Martell, named after its creator of the same name. 

Paul-Emile Rémy Martin was the one that began exporting his family’s Cognac to America in 1914.

Rémy was a vintner born in 1695 near Rouillac, southwestern France. In 1724, Jean Rémy established a cognac trading house, laying the foundation for the company's future success. The business passed to his grandson, also named Rémy, in 1773. In 1841, one Paul-Emile-Rémy Martin took over the reins of the company, ushering in a period of significant growth.

It would be Paul-Emile who would introduce the brand's distinctive logo featuring a centaur, inspired by his zodiac sign, Sagittarius.

The legendary Richard Hennessy.

On the other hand, Hennessy was established in 1765 by Richard Hennessy, an Irish Jacobite military officer who had served under Louis XV.

Originally from County Cork, Ireland, where his family was closely connected to the Nagle, Burke, and Roche families, Hennessy retired to the Cognac region of France to begin distilling and exporting his own brandy. It quickly exceeded expectations, becoming the world's leading exporter of brandy in the 1840s. By 1860, one out of every four bottles of cognac sold internationally came from Hennessy, and it has never lost its status to this day.

The house was also known for implementing a series of firsts in the cognac world. It was actually one of the first marques to sell bottles rather than casks of cognac, as well as using the gradings of V.S, V.S.O.P. and XO, which are used worldwide today.

Interestingly, Hennessy and Martell were actually once brothers-in-arms in the Cognac trade. In 1795, a marriage between the Hennessy and Martell families solidified a strategic alliance, creating a powerful duopoly within the cognac market. This partnership continued with another marriage in 1865.

While maintaining a competitive relationship, Martell and Hennessy also collaborated on certain decisions, such as the simultaneous introduction of a star grading system. This informal alliance persisted until 1947, when it was dissolved following the death of Maurice Firino-Martell.

The youngest of the four houses is Courvoisier, founded in 1835 by Frenchman Emmanuel Courvoisier.

Emmanuel's son Felix moved the company to the heart of the Cognac region in the town of Jarnac when they took over the company.

He had originally started a wine and spirit company in the Parisian suburb of Bercy with its Mayor Louis Gallois.

The pair had entered the industry with the intent to act as traders for regional cognac. As it turns out, they eventually decided that the best way to guarantee quality was to relocate to Cognac and become producers themselves.

The house is a bit of an outlier compared to the others we're covering today. It is known for maintaining very strict control over every aspect of its production process, despite not owning its own distilleries. The company is also noted to adjust its production processes depending on different vintages and regional variations in eaux-de-vie.

Courvoisier's time-honored production methods, remain unchanged since the company was founded almost 200 years ago.

That's not to say it hasn't managed to do battle with the likes of Hennessy, either. In 2019 alone, Rémy Martin exported approximately 1.4 million nine-liter cases of cognac, demonstrating its global reach and popularity.

Notably, it has the honor of being Napoleon Bonaparte's favorite Cognac!

The Emperor Napoleon visiting the market for eau-de-vie on the Quai Bercy on 8th February 1811, by Etienne Bouhot.

Best depicted in a historic painting by Etienne Bouhot, Napoleon famously visited the house in 1811. Legend has it that Napoleon himself enjoyed Courvoisier cognac so much that he procured several barrels to bring along with him to St. Helena.

In 1869, Napoleon's heir Napoleon III bestowed the title of "Official Supplier to the Imperial Court". The original honor is still displayed at the Courvoisier museum in Jarnac.

But that's enough about the histories of these great houses. How exactly do they taste and (more importantly) how do they fare against each other?

Let's get stuck in!

Hennessy XO Cognac – Review

Tasting Notes

Colour: Mahogany

Aroma: With some time to open up, it’s blossomed nicely, with an incredibly perfumed aroma of rich caramel, Christmas cakes, raisins, figs and prunes, topped with a serving of baking spices of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. There’s wafting scents of leather and cocoa powder, as well as some chocolates. A little bit of vanilla beans and espresso too. With time some dried apricots begin to emerge as well. There’s a big woody mustiness about it that gives it an air of antiquity, like walking into a refined antique store, yet it’s not quite dry or over the top, but definitely present.

Taste: Incredibly rich and full bodied, it’s silky and plush, with the oak much more subtle. It keeps pretty consistent with those darker, more earthy notes of chocolates, baking spices, caramel, dried fruits of raisins, prunes and apricots. More of that Christmas cake, leather, cocoa, along with a gentle nuttiness of hazelnut praline. It’s only lightly sweet, yet not all that dry, which gives a rather clean and well-defined structure to the Cognac, which exposes more nuances of its body. It’s rich and concentrated with great definition. It has also a lifted brightened elegance about it.

Finish: It gives a deep warmth almost mentholated in quality, extending out seamlessly. More on chocolate, baking spices, raisins and prunes, as well as some tobacco leaves. The vanilla beans emerge more prominently here, almost combining to give coffee candy. The oak also surfaces here, yet it’s not overbearing.

My Thoughts

A phenomenal Cognac expression here. It’s perfectly executed from aromas to its taste and finish - I struggle to pick a bone with it. It’s entirely rich, concentrated and with flavours that are distinct yet cohesive, but also well-defined. It’s a commendable choice for Hennessy to make this expression a little more dry, which allows the Cognac to showcase this chiselled structure and reveal more of the nuance and definition of its flavours.

The oakiness here is also managed impressively, giving this sort of mustiness of refinement that would be associated in fine antique stores, museums with those lacquered furnishings, or a cigar lounge - it’s incredibly evocative on the nose, yet this is held to much more subtlety on the palate, where it combines wonderfully with the darker and richer flavours without ever being overbearing.

The finish is long drawn, powerful, and loses none of the vibrance or definition of its flavours, instead continuing to lift and brighten with rich notes of vanilla and fresh oak.

Incredibly impressive expression by Hennessy, this is a superbly strong contender for best XO Cognac of the lot. Here we have a demonstration of power, concentration and precision - it leaves less to the imagination, and whilst you don’t get lost in it and it might not appeal to newer drinkers for its dryness, it gives you a pure and utterly refined example of a benchmark well-aged Cognac.

Martell XO Cognac - Review  

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark Amber

Aroma: This opens up rather quickly, it’s rich and almost brighter and more floral. The dried fruits surround the base with raisins, figs, prunes, yet the top note feels more lifted with floral scents of violets, irises, lavender. There’s a citrus outline too. Going again towards the core, a little bit of coffee beans, baking spices, brown sugars, kouign amann pastries with raisins. There’s a gentle nuttiness. The woodiness here feels more lacquered and again has this lifted quality. At times it’s giving fresh laundry.

Taste: It’s more floral even on the palate, also more vibrant and energetic. The fruits burst forth with juicy black grapes, followed by more dried fruits decked in maltose candy, of raisins, grapes, prunes. It’s always delivered with this bright and lifted note of florals, again with that lavender and fresh laundry. There’s the baking spices, the sugar laminated pastries, as well as the lacquered wood. It’s incredibly candied and rich, and feels fresher.

Finish: It deepens somewhat here. More of that brown sugar, dark fruits, raisins, figs, prunes, baking spices, a little bit of black liquorice candy, with a slight chewiness, cola cubes, at times a little bit of herbal cough syrup. As the richness recedes, there’s a long perfumed aroma of lavender once again.

My Thoughts

This feels like a very elegant expression from Martell. It’s still got that moderate richness, but where it really stands out is in that big perfumed floral quality that follows through the tasting experience - it’s incredibly evocative of fresh laundry, yet it’s not cloying or overpowering. It also broadly feels brighter and more lifted - again, it has to be said, it’s very perfumed - and yet when we get to the palate, we also find this incredible candied quality about the dark fruits, it’s reminiscent of tanghulu candy (fresh fruits coated in rock sugar or maltose), which was absolutely stunning. That said, some added depth might have done this some good. Into the finish, I also particularly liked how a more herbal quality (of Pei Pa Koa) emerges that gives it more depth and richness.

The Martell XO Cognac is one that’s marked more for its perfumed qualities and complexity - its incredibly evocative and really takes you away with how incredibly aromatic it is, which powerfully stays throughout and yet never overdoes it. It’s quite the feat. Here we have an XO that’s less focused on concentration and definition, yet one that’s more complex and ephemeral. If this one packed more depth, power and richness, we’d just have to concede that this would be it.

Remy Martin XO Cognac - Review

Tasting Notes

Colour: Mahogany

Aroma: This has just opened up right away! It’s moderately rich, with the mid-profile tightened and also brightened up a notch. Here the dark doesn’t feel quite so dark, nor the bright all that bright, with the bouquet more cohesive and closely knitted. There’s still that base of brown sugar, milk chocolates, dark raisins and leather, yet it doesn’t quite amount to abyss. Right above is an outline of orange blossoms, with more florals of white lilies, some bergamot and vanilla. With time there’s a little more of these autumnal scents of fall browned leaves and milk coffee, along with yellow raisins and a little bit of peaches and dried apricots. Light dusting of baking spices as well, with some dried oak in the background. Incredibly aromatic!

Taste: A really nice richness on the palate, it feels fuller and more lush, with a noticeably more velvety texture, borderline syrupy. Here comes a coating of rich brown sugar, toffee, milk chocolates, mixed in with raisins and figs, with a dusting of baking spices of cinnamon and nutmeg. There’s little flecks of marzipan, along with again that outline of orange blossoms and some fresh peaches. Towards the back, it turns even richer, almost chewy of black licorice candy and Christmas cake, little hints of milk coffee too. It’s thick and decadent into the back. The top notes provide some lift, with some creme brûlée custard, vanilla, and some white florals.

Finish: It’s a little more spicy here, with some gingerbread cookies, candied ginger, more of that clove and cinnamon presence too. The woody tannins show up a little more, with some graininess that tightens up, giving a bit more of a dryness here. The same rich wave of brown sugar, apricots and dark fruits persists into the finish.

My Thoughts

This demonstrated a whole lot of balance that would serve to make it incredibly approachable - I’d say this is the crowd pleaser of the lot. It sports a more constrained flavour profile where you’ve got a little bit of everything and on the whole it tends towards more of a middle ground in terms of intensity and brightness. The darker notes aren’t as dark, whilst the brighter notes aren’t as bright - it’s moderately rich, with a good amount of complexity and depth that puts this right at the benchmark of the lot. It’s quite possibly the most XO of the XO’s!

If you couldn’t already tell, I really appreciated how balanced this was, where I felt like there weren’t quite any tradeoffs to be made here, yet I suppose that might come at possibly the only tradeoff being that it isn’t overtly distinctive, and as mentioned, feels very much like the most all-rounded of the lot. Here you won’t find anything too dry nor incredibly candied - it is pretty outstanding when it comes to its aromas which I felt was the best part of this, along with the back palate which was borderline treacly. Otherwise, if I had to pick the only aspect that might possibly knock some folks off, it would be the woodiness into the finish which did tighten up significantly where you could feel the grains give quite the pucker.

Nevertheless, this one is definitely a crowd pleaser of the lot! I’d be hard pressed to imagine anyone who would not enjoy this.

Courvoisier XO Cognac - Review

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark Amber

Aroma: Fresh, fruit driven, this is more heavily dominated with brighter orchard fruits of apples and pears, orange blossoms, as well as a big floral note of violets and irises, also vanilla. It has a moderate richness, alittle less of those dark and heavy Christmas cake and brown sugar, here it’s more honeyed and of maltose candy. There’s a gentle nuttiness of marzipan, some milk chocolates, custard pudding, as well as raisins, figs, and black grapes. There’s almost spurts of fruit juices giving it quite the vibrance. The woodiness here is more lacquered but also much more subtle.

Taste: The freshness certainly carries through to the palate, again keeping closer to those fresh and ripe fruits, with a little less of the dried ones. Muscat grapes, apricots, yellow raisins, candied oranges, candied ginger, delivered on a body of honey. It leans brighter, with just a lighter base of those raisins and figs. There’s just some of that milk chocolate and marzipan, along with a more pronounced bit of lacquered wood. The woodiness here is polished and not all that grainy, yet brings with it an increasing dryness.

Finish: A little more on dark chocolates here, prunes and plums, with a minty freshness of eucalyptus. As it recedes, it leaves lighter wafts of honey and apples, with just a bit of cloves. Some orange blossoms linger.

My Thoughts

A perfectly approachable expression from Courvoisier, this one is fresher and brighter, with more of an airy quality to it. It’s quite fruit and honey driven, and isn’t nearly as dark as the others - there’s definitely less of those earth and dark and dried fruit notes here, which does serve to make it much more approachable than the others. There’s a moderate richness about it, although it could definitely pack more richness, depth and power.

This feels lighter on the whole, but for those just getting into Cognacs, this might be a good place to start with - it has aromas and flavours that are easy to access, with neither too much heaviness nor dryness. That said, the tradeoff here being that it does forgo some complexity and intensity that would nail it with more seasoned Cognac lovers.

The Conclusion

It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience to savour all four of the big Cognacs at their XO level! It’s a tasting experience that’s been quite some time in the making, and I’m glad that I finally got to make it happen. What surprises me is how much each of them differs, and with a good amount of age to them, these differences in blending and where the fruit comes from - that terroir - begins to become thoroughly clear how they shape the resulting Cognac. Taking stock of all four of them, here’s where I stand.

Hennessy XO - Really solid expression, great precision, structure, concentration and intensity, however it leans more dry which is necessary to reveal those nuances. It’s also more narrow and focuses heavily on showcasing particular flavours. This one is great for seasoned Cognac lovers.

Martell XO - Incredible perfume, this was superbly floral, without being soapy or overly dominating. It had the most enchanting bouquet that persisted all the way into the finish. The breadth of its aromas was just incredible. That said, it was also less concentrated or intense. This is great as a celebratory Cognac, one for after dinner digestifs or a real great moment.

Remy Martin XO - The most crowd pleasing of the lot. This has a good amount of everything, showcasing a wonderful balance. It’s also more moderate in its expressiveness, neither too dark nor bright, heavy nor light - it really is the benchmark Cognac expression. This is a great one to bring to a party or a meal with friends and family.

Courvoisier XO - This is the more approachable of the four. It’s lighter and brighter, yet at the same time a little more dry and clean. It seems to dispense with the heavier and richer notes, and therefore while it makes this much easier to access aroma and flavour wise, it also therefore forgoes some of that depth and power that one might expect from an XO expression. This one is great for those just starting out appreciating Cognacs.

Lok Bing Hong A budding journalist that loves experiencing new things and telling people's stories. I have 30 seconds of irresponsibly sanctimonious brilliance a day. I do not decide when they come. They are not consecutive.