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XO Cognac

XO: Aged 10 Years + On Ice & Neat & Food Pairing

XO stands for "Extra Old", and describes a Cognac consisting of eaux-de-vie that have been aged in oak barrels for a minimum of 10 years. Just like VS (Very Special) and VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale), Extra Old is another English expression, which shows the strong connection to foreign countries, especially Great Britain and America.

"XO" was coined by Cognac Hennessy and first used in 1870. Even though the youngest blend in an XO Cognac can be as young as ten years, an XO usually has an average age of between 15 and 20 years, sometimes older. So how old is an XO Cognac officially? As of 2018, the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) have decided that the minimum XO Cognac age for the youngest eau-de-vie is ten years, in an effort to improve the quality of the spirit across the board.

An XO Cognac can also be called “Old Réserve” or "Vieille Réserve". As XO is the final official age category, “Napoleon”, "Extra", "Hors d'Age", and "Tres Vieille Réserve", are designations that fall into the XO category, however, there can be important differences in quality and age.

The XO is the ‘gold standard’ by which Cognac houses are typically judged. If you’re looking for a good Cognac, an XO can tell you a lot. So what does XO Cognac taste like? The time spent in the barrels can influence the Cognac significantly, and an exceptional XO will be rich and luxurious with warm spice, toffee, chocolate, nuts and dried fruit.

So which XO Cognac is the best? Take a look at our selection, some have won multiple awards and accreditations such as the Hennessy XO, the XO by Remy Martin, Martell XO Borderies and so on.

Learn more in our selection of educational Cognac articles.

Extra Old

XO Cognac

Minimum 10 years  ·  Best served neat

XO stands for Extra Old, the tier where Cognac gains real depth. Since 2018 the youngest eau-de-vie in an XO must be at least ten years old, and most houses blend spirits far older. From the great maisons to small family growers, this is where character, cru and age come together.

Explore the selection
The short version
  • XO means Extra Old. The youngest eau-de-vie in the blend is at least ten years old.
  • Deeper and rounder than VSOP, with dried fruit, candied orange, oak spice and the first notes of rancio.
  • Three worlds to choose from: prestige limited editions, classic houses, and small-grower value bottles.
  • Made for slow sipping: neat, at room temperature, in a tulip glass.

What is XO Cognac?

Cognac is sold in age tiers, and the stated age always refers to the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend. VS means at least two years, VSOP at least four, and XO at least ten. The XO minimum rose from six to ten years in April 2018, so every XO you buy today carries that older baseline. Above XO sit XXO (at least fourteen years), Extra and Hors d'Age, where blends often average thirty years or more. Many houses present their XO in a decanter or carafe rather than a standard bottle.

Age tierMinimum age of youngest eau-de-vieTypical character
VS2 yearsYoung, fruity, lively
VSOP4 yearsRounder, oak and vanilla
XO10 yearsDeep, spiced, dried fruit, early rancio
XXO14 yearsConcentrated, savoury, long
Hors d'Age10 years minimum, often 30 to 50Rare, complex, full rancio

Age classes follow the Cognac AOC specification overseen by the BNIC.

How to read one

The XO character profile

Every XO can be read like a short tasting sheet, the fiche de degustation. Learn these five markers and you can compare any two bottles with confidence:

  • Colour: deep amber to old gold, a sign of long ageing in French oak.
  • Nose: dried apricot and fig, candied orange, vanilla, cinnamon and gentle leather.
  • Palate: round and full, with oak spice, honey and cooked fruit carried by soft tannin.
  • Rancio: the savoury walnut and dried-mushroom depth that begins to appear with real age. The older the blend, the more pronounced it becomes.
  • Cru and strength: a Grande Champagne XO leans floral and long, a Borderies XO rounder and nutty. Most sit at 40% ABV, though cask-strength XOs run higher.

Each product page on our shop lists these details, so you can match an XO to the style you enjoy before you buy.

Age and terroir

How an XO is built

An XO is an assembly, blended by the cellar master (maitre de chai) from eaux-de-vie of different ages and often several crus. The ten-year minimum is only a floor: the finest houses fold in spirits aged twenty, thirty or more years to add depth. Each year in the cellar a little evaporates, the part des anges (angels' share), quietly concentrating what remains.

Every bottle we sell follows the cahier des charges of the Cognac AOC: Ugni Blanc grapes grown across the six crus, a double distillation in Charentais copper pot stills, and ageing in French oak. Long maturation is what brings an XO its amber colour, its spice and its first savoury rancio.

From our cellar

XO family tastings

We taste XO Cognac as a team, blind and side by side, and write up what we find. If you are deciding between bottles, these tastings are the honest shortcut:

The bottles that came first in each tasting are gathered in our winners just below.

Family tasting champions

Our XO tasting winners

Four blind family tastings over the years, four winners. Each of these bottles came top of its table.

D'USSÉ XO Cognac
🏆 Big Four Showdown

D'USSÉ XO

88 / 100, 1st place

Our Big Four blind showdown put five icons head to head. d'Ussé came out on top, ahead of Martell, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Hennessy.

View & buyRead the tasting
Audry XO Cognac
🏆 2020 Lockdown Tasting

Audry XO

1st place

Winner of our 2020 lockdown tasting, an elegant, long Fine Champagne XO and a lasting favourite.

View & buyRead the tasting
Marancheville XO Grande Champagne Cognac
🏆 2022 Family Tasting

Marancheville XO Grande Champagne

1st place

Our 2022 Family Tasting champion, a Grande Champagne with depth, spice and a long finish.

View & buyRead the tasting
Le Roch XO Borderies Cognac
🏆 Small-producer Tasting

Le Roch XO Borderies

94 / 100, 1st place

Top of eleven small grower XOs in our warehouse tasting, floral and pure Borderies.

View & buyRead the tasting

Bestsellers

Most Loved XO

The in-stock XO bottles our customers come back for.

Audry XO Cognac
Available

Audry XO Cognac

$ 140
incl. duty, tariff, clearance excl. shipping
Highly Recommended 86 /100
See moreView all XO

Prestige

XO Limited Editions

Collector and art editions from the great houses, for the serious buyer.

See moreView all XO

Great maisons

Classic Houses: the most renowned XOs

The benchmark XOs from the established Cognac houses.

See moreView all XO

Grower estates

Small-producer XO: best value for money

Outstanding XO from independent growers, often under 110 euros.

See moreView all XO

Premier cru

Grande Champagne & single-cru XO

Old expressions from the first growth and named crus.

See moreView all XO

Serving

How to enjoy an XO

Serve it neat, at room temperature, in a tulip-shaped glass that gathers the aromas. There is no need to add ice or water to a spirit this refined. Let it open in the glass and reveal its layers of dried fruit, candied orange, oak spice and leather.

An XO is made for slow sipping, an after-dinner moment or a gift that lasts. It pairs beautifully with dark chocolate, a mature hard cheese, walnuts, or a good cigar. Stored upright, away from light and heat, a sealed bottle keeps for years.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

What does XO mean in Cognac?

XO stands for Extra Old. It is an official age tier: the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend must be at least ten years old. Most houses use spirits far older than the minimum.

How old is an XO Cognac?

At least ten years, measured on the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend. The minimum rose from six to ten years in April 2018. In practice many XOs blend spirits aged fifteen, twenty or more years.

Is XO better than VSOP?

It is older and usually more complex. VSOP guarantees a four-year minimum, XO a ten-year minimum. XO tends to show more dried fruit, spice and depth, while VSOP is lighter and fruitier. Better depends on the moment and your taste.

What does XO Cognac taste like?

Expect a deep amber colour and aromas of dried apricot and fig, candied orange, vanilla, oak spice and gentle leather. The palate is round and full, and older blends begin to show the savoury walnut note called rancio.

What is the difference between XO, Napoleon and Hors d'Age?

Napoleon sits between VSOP and XO, with a six-year minimum. XO is a ten-year minimum. Hors d'Age shares the same legal minimum as XO but signals far greater maturity, often thirty to fifty years. XXO is a fourteen-year minimum.

Which XO offers the best value for money?

Small family growers such as Choloux, Les Ormeaux, Braastad, Le Roch and Vallein Tercinier offer excellent XO around 75 to 110 euros. See our small-producer selection above and our family tastings on the blog.

How much does an XO Cognac cost?

Most classic-house XOs sit between 90 and 300 euros. Small-grower XOs start around 75 euros, while prestige and limited editions from the great maisons can run into the thousands. There is a good XO at almost every budget.

Can you drink XO Cognac with ice?

We recommend serving an XO neat, at room temperature, in a tulip glass, so nothing masks the aromas built over long ageing. Ice is a matter of taste, but it mutes the more delicate notes of an older spirit.

How should I store an XO Cognac?

Store the bottle upright, away from light and heat. Unlike wine, Cognac does not age further in the bottle. A well-sealed bottle keeps its character for years, and an opened bottle is best enjoyed within a year or two.

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From young and lively to the rarest old blends, explore every style with Cognac Expert.

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Our complete XO selection follows below. Filter by house, cru, price and age, with worldwide shipping and expert advice on every bottle.

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