There’s no disputing that Hennessy whether V.S.O.P, X.O or V.S is the king of cognac. The famous name is known and revered in every Nightclub or top bar around the Country and probably all over the world. At a point, A-List artistes sang about it and certainly loved to be seen swigging it or just displaying the alcohol brand on their music videos just to prove a point. At a whooping N100,000 per bottle in some clubs, over and again Hennessy has been rated as a drink for Kings, and it’s certainly the favorite spirit of many.
So, you probably think you know Hennessy. But we’d like to place money on the chance that at least one of the following facts is new to you if not all of them.
Hennessy is a medicine…
… well, it used to be sold as one. Between the years of 1920 – 1933, Hennessy Cognac was sold through the drugstores of one William Schiefflin. Some years later, his company, Schiefflin & Co, became a big cheese in the field of liquor distribution.
Nas is Hennessy’s official brand ambassador.
To celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2015, Hennessy marked the milestone by naming legendary hip-hop artist Nas as brand ambassador.
Hennessy is made from wine.
Cognac is a variety of brandy made from white wine, traditionally very dry and thin. The spirit is distilled twice and aged in French barrels, which impart flavor. And like wine, the price can vary drastically high. Bottles of Hennessy can run anywhere from N20,000 to a N100,000 depending on place or club of purchase.
It doesn’t keep aging
Unlike the wine it’s made from, (Hennessy) Cognac won’t improve with time, though, as long as you keep it in a cool, dark place, it will stay just as delicious as the day it was bottled until the day you crack it open.
That whole “VS” and “VSOP” thing is actually pretty simple
There are three main classifications for Cognac: VS, or Very Special, has been aged at least two years (Cognacs marked with three stars are also VS); VSOP, or Very Superior Old Pale, has been aged at least four years; XO, or Extra Old, has been aged at least six years (though as of next year, Cognac will need 10 years of aging to qualify as XO).
It takes ten years to become a professional Hennessy taster.
According to a Hennessy’s 7th Generation Master Blender, you cannot become a professional taster at Hennessy’s level before you’ve completed ten years of apprenticeship on the Comité de Dégustation (Tasting Committee), a select group of tasting experts who evaluate each eau-de-vie that goes into Hennessy Cognac. And you thought passing Jamb was hard…
