Hennessy XO

About this wine

Hennessy X.O is an assembled blend of more than 100 eaux de vie that showcases deep amber color and concentrated aromas of candied fruit, dark chocolate, and warm spice. On the palate it is full and rounded, with a velvety texture, notes of fig and prune, a pronounced spicy peppery edge, and a lingering vanilla and oak presence from extended cask aging. The House traces this style back to 1870 when Maurice Hennessy created X.O to introduce a new, richer format of cognac, and the bottle remains a signature of the maison. Like other cognacs from the region, the spirit is distilled from white wine typically made from Ugni Blanc and double distilled in copper pot stills before being aged in French oak barrels. turn0news13 Many descriptions note that some component eaux de vie in the blend have been aged for decades, with some parcels reported as aged up to around 30 years to add depth and structure. The finish is long and warming, with persistent notes of toasted oak, cocoa, and a sweet dried fruit echo that reveals more complexity as it evolves in the glass.

About the grape

Ugni Blanc, known in Italy as Trebbiano, likely originated in Tuscany and arrived in southern France during the medieval period, it is prized for its high acidity and neutral flavor which make it ideal for distillation. The vine is vigorous, late to bud, and fairly disease resistant, so growers in the Cognac region control yields with careful pruning and pruning systems such as Guyot to preserve concentration. In Cognac it is planted across the six crus, often on chalky limestone soils in Grande and Petite Champagne and on clay and sandy sites in Borderies and Fins Bois, and its naturally high acidity helps eaux de vie age well. Houses like Hennessy use mostly Ugni Blanc to produce the many different eaux de vie blended into Hennessy XO, sourcing spirits from Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies and Fins Bois and aging some components for decades to build the final blend.

Quick facts

• 🥃 Hennessy XO was created in 1870 by Maurice Hennessy as a private cognac for friends, and that original recipe helped invent the XO classification for cognac.
• 🍇 The blend that makes Hennessy XO can contain around 100 different eaux de vie, some of which the house says have been aged for up to 30 years, giving it many layered flavours.
• 🏺 The famous XO decanter shape was designed in 1947 to echo the pyramid like contours of a grape bunch, so the bottle itself is a tribute to the fruit at the heart of cognac.
• 🌍 Hennessy X O became an early global hit, with customers in Ireland and large orders from Shanghai as early as 1872, helping make it a worldwide icon of cognac.
• ❄️ Although XO is typically sipped neat, Hennessy has long promoted enjoying XO over ice because the temperature change releases new aromatics and shifts its character.

Palate profile

Producer

Jas Hennessy & Co was founded in 1765 by Irish officer Richard Hennessy who settled on the quay of the Charente river in Cognac and established a trading house for eaux de vie. The house formed a lasting partnership with the Fillioux family of Master Blenders from the early 1800s, a lineage that has shaped its blends across many generations. Hennessy created the category defining X.O blend in 1870 and has long been one of the best known and largest cognac houses, with a global reputation for aging reserves and rare eaux de vie. The Maison still operates at its historic address in Cognac where visitors can tour the cellars, boutique and cooperage, and it remains closely associated with luxury collaborations and limited edition releases.