Hennessy

Hennessy is the world's largest cognac producer, founded in 1765 by Richard Hennessy, an Irish military officer who settled in Cognac, France. The company is a subsidiary of Moet Hennessy, itself a division of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world's largest luxury goods conglomerate. Hennessy is headquartered in Cognac, in the Charente department of southwestern France. The house accounts for approximately 40 percent of global cognac sales, making it the dominant producer in the category. Hennessy's portfolio spans the full range of cognac classifications: V.S (Very Special), aged a minimum of two years; V.S.O.P (Very Superior Old Pale), with a minimum of four years aging; X.O (Extra Old), with eaux-de-vie aged a minimum of ten years; and the prestige expressions Paradis and Richard Hennessy, which incorporate eaux-de-vie aged up to 200 years. The house maintains a committee of tasting experts, the Comite de Degustation, whose members collectively assess approximately 10,000 eaux-de-vie annually to select those worthy of blending. Hennessy sources from all four premier cru growing areas of the Cognac appellation and maintains one of the largest reserves of aged eaux-de-vie in the world. The Fillioux family served as Hennessy's master blenders for eight successive generations before the position transitioned. Hennessy V.S typically retails above $35, while the prestige Richard Hennessy expression commands prices above $4,000 per bottle.