Hennessy is the ten foot tall giant when it comes to Cognac - it's said that one in every two Cognac sold globally is a Hennessy - a dominance that was built above and beyond its pioneering acts, from being amongst the first to export bottled Cognac to introducing the now ubiquitous VSOP and XO grades for aged Cognac, by endearing itself as a cultural lynchpin. It's hard to delineate where culture ends and Hennessy begins.

Yet belying its seismic significance is in fact - and perhaps precisely so - a surprisingly tight and narrow range of classic expressions. There's of course the usual suspects - the VS, VSOP, XO and XXO - and then as a crowning jewel, is the Hennessy Paradis, so named after the Cognac-making practice of time-capsuling Cognac's in a glass demijohns where no further ageing takes place, which is then stored in a cool and dark ageing cellar for up to a century and more, uniquely allowing Cognacs as one of the only drinks in the world to wholly originate from a vintage that is well over a hundred years old. With just these handful of expressions, Hennessy has focused squarely on collaborations with artists, musicians, and other cultural figures to bring its Cognacs into new realms, constantly opening itself to reinterpretation and reimagination, and yet always the same benchmark Cognac. It's a pioneering yet subtle flex, proving that Hennessy's Cognacs need not be altered to suit the preferences of the day nor come in a hundred new expressions in order for it to prove its relevance, the savoir faire itself underscores its everlasting fashion. And so these resolutely unchanging Cognacs only gain equity with time as the layers of culture envelope around these decanters over decades and centuries.

2025 sees a collaboration between the Hennessy Paradis and fashion brand Loewe.

Decades and longer typically go by before a new expression is created - the iconic Hennessy VSOP was created by second-generation James Hennessy (of the house's founding family) in 1817 as a special request for King George IV of England which in turn resulted in the first ever VSOP Cognac to be made, whilst the Hennessy VS would in turn be conceived by James Hennessy's son, Maurice Hennessy, in 1865, which came with it the first system of using stars to grade various ages of Cognac. More recently then - by which we mean over 150 years ago, the Hennessy XO and XXO would be the next in line in the Hennessy range, with both launched in 1870 by Emile Fillioux, the third-generation Fillioux to serve as the house's Master Blender, together with Maurice Hennessy. And so it's been a stellar run for the two families - the Hennessy's and the Fillioux's - who have served side by side as head of the house and master blenders respectively, for eight generations!

And so when the Paradis was first dreamt up in 1979 by sixth-generation Maurice Fillioux (the great-grandson of Emile Fillioux who created the Hennessy XO and XXO) - the first flagship Hennessy expression in just over 100 years - you bet that the excitement was palpable. Maurice Fillioux had been a big aficionado of symphonic music which he saw as intimately resembling of Cognac blending, and as such had wanted to embody a symphony in Cognac. He would meticulously assemble a blend of over 100 of the house's best parcels of eaux-de-vie (the grape brandy which we call Cognac), all of which aged for at least 25 years, with some said to be up to a 100 years old, drawn specially from Hennessy's Le Paradis - that is, the oldest parts of the famed house's cellars, reserved for what the house deems as the best eaux-de-vie's that are worthy of passing on from one generation to the next as almost an heirloom. And so the Hennessy Paradis, composed of Ugni Blanc single grape varietal Cognacs from several notable crus around the (Cognac) region including the legendary Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Fins Bois and Borderies, was thus created to offer fans access to some of the most precious brandy coming from the category's most dominant house.

Maurice Fillioux with the late Queen Elizabeth II on a 1980 visit to the Hennessy Le Paradis cellars in the heart of the Charente.

Maurice Fillioux would liken the blend to "a symphonic orchestra [with] classical music that takes you away and connects with your emotions", and thus presenting a Cognac that was both harmonious and compelling. 

It's since been close to half a century since Fillioux had debuted the Hennessy Paradis, and in that time the keys to the cellar have passed on to seventh-generation Yann Fillioux, and today lies in the hands of eighth-generation Renaud Fillioux de Gironde, with the now iconic expression having itself become elevated as with its siblings, taking on numerous cultural reinterpretations and thus allowing the layers of significance and heritage to build up around it - yet it remains very much the one and only Hennessy Paradis.

And so today, we're going to dive in headfirst and taste this icon - and you're coming with us!

Let's go!

Cognac Review: Hennessy Paradis Cognac

Tasting Notes

Colour: Mahogany

Aroma: Ripe, perfumed, layered. Opens with a perfumed wave of ripe fruit; apricots leaning into slightly green and tart mango. There’s an abundance of red fruit, with raspberries, cherries, and a deep red fruit preserve that just edges into jamminess. A faint sweet milk chocolate note sits underneath, before a grounding quality offered by earthier aromatics of tobacco, autumnal leaves and a touch of damp earth. A distinctive subtle minerality that leans toward slate. The red fruits remain soft and rounded throughout, cushioning some gentle baking spices. Toward the edges, there’s a candied orange note, like orange jelly candy. Overall, the nose is rich very, layered, generous, driven primarily by fruit but with clear aromatic oak depth.

Taste: Mirrors the richness of the nose but takes on a softly spiced, oakier form with a good sense of weight and viscosity. It is full-bodied and robust, with a firm but precisely balanced grip of tobacco pipe and bitter oak that quickly mellows into chocolate and baking spices. Vanilla tonka beans thread through the mid-palate, bringing a creamier softness along with honeyed tones. A faint herbaceous streak cuts through, reminding me of herbal candies, before the light cinnamon and nutmeg perk up again toward the end. Great balance of oak bitterness, sweetness and spice on a palate with both heft and direction.

Finish: Long, slightly warm, and gently herbaceous. The honeyed sweetness that carried through the palate lingers here, recalling Woods candy and soft herbal jelly. There are echoes of autumnal leaves, light herbs, and a faint tea-like dryness that keeps the ending quite aromatic and graceful. Aromatic sandalwood remains present into the finish.

My Thoughts

The Hennessy Paradis strikes me as very generous yet impeccably balanced. The nose is fantastically ripe and layered, while the palate begins with boldness and robustness but eventually softens into something rounded and gentle, showing restraint where over-oaking could have dominated for a highly aged Cognac. I love how the European oak influence comes across, not in heavy tannins or raw bitterness, but in aromatic subtleties that complement rather than overwhelm. It feels both expansive and precise, a rare balance that makes it stand out.

@CharsiuCharlie