Richard Hennessy founded the Cognac house in 1765. A house that has been at the forefront of innovative and creative ideas when it comes to perhaps the world's best Cognac Hennessy.
The story behind Hennessy Cognac goes all the way back to 18th century France. Irish Richard Hennessy founded the cognac house here in 1765 in the town of Cognac. As a cognac house, it has been at the forefront of innovative and creative ideas for over 250 years – to the great delight of all lovers of cognac.
Richard Hennessy left Ireland in favor of continental Europe and France, where he laid the foundation stone for the distillery. However, the cognac house was only really successful when the son, James Hennessy, took over the business and named it Jas Hennessy & Co. This name is still proudly worn by the distillery today. Under James Hennessy's leadership, he gradually developed and expanded the business before passing the baton on to the next generation. At the moment it is i.a. 7th and 8th generation behind the successful business. Hennessy Cognac is today the world's leading and largest producer of cognac with annual sales of approx. 50 million bottles. This means they account for over 40 percent of the total production of cognac worldwide.
HENNESSY COGNAC FROM BEAUTIFUL AREAS
The city of Cognac is today world famous and loved for its cognacs – not least thanks to Hennessy. Cognac is located in the Charente district in southwestern France, which is a scenic area that is today world-famous and loved for its production of cognac. It is in these picturesque surroundings that Hennessy Cognac is produced.
Cognac is also called French grape brandy. But it is actually only grapes that are grown in a defined geographical area from the city that can use the name cognac on its bottles. Of course, Hennessy meets this requirement.
In terms of weather and climate, the conditions in the area are optimal for grape growing, with wet winters and warm summers. This provides absolutely perfect growing conditions for the grapes. For the production of Hennessy cognac, St. Emilion grapes, which are a standard grape for all kinds of brandy. The grape is also known under the French alias Ugni Blanc or the Italian Trebbiano. St. Emilion is an acidic and fresh grape, which is also used in many white wines. To maintain the acidity level of the grapes, they are picked before they are fully ripe, which also makes them perfect for the subsequent distillation.
HOW HENNESSY COGNAC IS MADE
Initially, the juice is pressed from the grapes, after which it stands and ferments for two to three weeks. A little extra yeast is then added so that the sugar in the juice is converted. The first fermentation brings the juice up to an alcohol percentage corresponding to 7-8 percent. The fermented juice is then distilled once more, bringing the content up to 70 percent spirits.
When both distillations are over, the contents are stored in casks made from wood from the Trocais and Limousin forests. The wood from these forests has a very low resin content, which makes it perfect for storage. When the contents interact with the air and the dish, it loses both alcohol and water - but mostly alcohol. In the subsequent mixing process, careful control is carried out so that the taste and quality are in accordance with the high Hennessy standard. The finished cognac eventually reaches an alcohol percentage of 40 percent.
FIND YOUR NEXT HENNESSY COGNAC AT PREMIUM BOTTLES
Here at PremiumBottles you will find an exciting selection of Hennessy cognac. You will find i.a. their flagship Hennessy Paradis Imperial incl. married box. This is a sophisticated and extremely tasty cognac with notes of orange blossom, jasmine and small nuances of oak. This cognac has a surprising and persistent aftertaste – all in all, an exclusive delicacy of a cognac.
You can also try one of our excellent Hennessy XO Cognac , which has an exceptional complexity and viscosity. This cognac achieves its special, complex taste after approx. 30 years storage.
Whichever cognac you choose, they are best enjoyed after a nice meal at normal room temperature.
