Hennessy Cognac Snifter

Hennessy was founded in 1765 by Richard Hennessy, an Irish-born officer who settled in Cognac and established a trading house for eaux-de-vie. His son James further developed the business and gave it the name Jas Hennessy & Co. From an early stage, the house focused on international trade, eventually becoming the world’s largest cognac brand. Its share is considerably greater than twenty per cent: in recent years, Hennessy has represented almost half of all cognac sold worldwide. The house has been part of the LVMH luxury group since 1987.

Hennessy is a cognac house rather than an individual wine estate or traditional distillery. It works closely with around 1,600 winegrowers and dozens of distillers throughout the Cognac region. From their production, the house selects eaux-de-vie suitable for extended maturation. Its reserves comprise hundreds of thousands of casks, from which the master blender and tasting committee compose distinctive blends. Central to this work is the Fillioux family, which has supplied Hennessy with eight generations of master blenders. From Hennessy VS and VSOP to the XO created in 1870 and prestigious cognacs such as Paradis and Richard Hennessy, the house is renowned for a powerful, rich style combining fruit, spice, vanilla and oak.