Hennessy VS Very Special Cognac

59 /100
see 3 reviews
Cognac age
VS

Learn more about the different Cognac ages

Growth area
Blend

Learn more about the different Cognac growth areas

ABV
40%
Brand
Hennessy Cognac
102170
$ 80
excl. TAX excl. shipping

Bottle size
  • 700ml - Shipped from France
  • 750ml - Shipped within US
  • 375ml - Shipped within US
  • 200ml - Shipped within US
  • 1000ml - Shipped within US
  • 1750ml - Shipped within US
  • 50ml - Shipped within US
This product is available in: AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, GU, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, ME, MI, MO, MT, NE, NV, NY, NH, NJ, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, DC, WV, WI, WY. Products that are shipped within the US are excluded from Vouchers.

Tasting review

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Eye: Deep golden color with flashes of ruby. 

Nose: Wild Limousin oak rises from the glass, alongside grilled almonds, hazelnut and vanilla. There’s a warming presence of vanilla at the back and just a hint of ground ginger. 

Palate: Fresh grape and green apples at the forefront, representing the younger elements in the blend, followed by more mature flavors of orange and wood staves. The ginger on the nose slowly develops into a finish of warming winter spices - cinnamon and clove. 

Growth area & soil: Blend

Bois Ordinaires
Borderies
Bons Bois
Fins Bois
Petite Champagne
Grande Champagne

Description

Hennessy VS: A Cognac tour de force

Representing centuries of Cognac making, Hennessy Cognac VS (Very Special) is a timeless icon: true to its origins, but always looking to the future. 40 different eaux-de-vie from across all Cognac regions are used in the blend, with a minimum age of two years and some aged up to five. 

To create the eaux-de-vie for Hennessy’s signature, the finest Ugni Blanc grapes are selected, fermented and distilled twice in copper pot stills, known locally as alembic charentais. While some producers choose to distil their spirit with grape skins and other types of sediment, Hennessy removes this to create a lighter and more delicate Cognac. After distillation, only the best eaux-de-vie will be selected during tasting sessions held by a select committee of experts, with the final blend crafted by Hennessy’s eighth-generation master blender, Renaud Fillioux de Gironde.

Maison Hennessy uses casks of French Limousin oak to age their VS Cognac, imparting a robust, nutty note to complement the light and fruity grape characteristics. Before they even get to touch the spirit, the wood for the casks has been left outside for several years, exposing it to the changing seasons to reduce bitter flavors and develop a natural vanilla sweetness.

Every tiny detail of Hennessy’s Cognac production is deliberate; the location of their cellars (or chais in French) on the banks of the River Charente has been chosen to provide a humid environment, with a relative moisture level of at least 90% to accelerate the angel’s share of alcohol vapors and create a more mellow spirit.

While all the parts of the blend have to be at least two years old, the master blender also chooses older casks to impart depth and balance - the aim is certainly not to produce the cheapest cognac out there. 

It might be a French icon, but Maison Hennessy was actually founded by an Irishman named Richard Hennessy in 1765. Today, it’s the world’s largest producer of Cognac, accounting for an impressive 40% of the market share.

Richard’s great-grandson Maurice created a star-based system in 1865 for signifying Cognac quality, which was shortly adopted by other producers as the industry standard. The beloved Hennessy 3-star Cognac later became Hennessy VS - or just ‘Henny’ - an icon as famous as the people who drink it. 

Presentation of the bottle

  • Cognac age: VS 
  • Growth area: Blend 
  • Bottle size: 700ml
  • Presentation box: None
  • ABV: 40%
  • Brand: Hennessy Cognac

How to enjoy Hennessy VS

Celebrities like Kanye West may drink it straight from the bottle, but we recommend trying Hennessy VS on its own in a tulip glass, or over ice. House of Hennessy ambassador Marc Boissonet recommends keeping it simple by adding bubbles: “A nice burgundy glass with a solid ice cube and a dash of sparkling water… that’s a way to enjoy it.”

Hennessy VS is also the perfect base for classic and modern cocktails: try it in a Sidecar, or make a twist on the Old Fashioned with a dash of ginger syrup and bitters. 

Find out more about VS Cognac.

About Hennessy Cognac

You may think, that with Hennessy’s ability to innovate and push boundaries, they are a thoroughly ‘modern’ Cognac brand. This is a large part of their immense success and influence. The very French brand based in the Charente region, in fact, dates all the way back to 1765 - to Ireland - but have managed to shapeshift enough times to remain more relevant than ever before - with current Master Blender Renaud Fillioux. Their range of uber-trendy products is ever expanding, and their marketing campaigns all the more captivating. There is no doubt that ‘Henny’ culture is alive and kicking: both Cognac and a fifth of Hennessy are mentioned in what seems like hundreds of songs. 

Read more: History, News and Interesting Hennessy Facts

Read more about Hennessy Cognac

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