The labels on drinks are often confusing, especially to a newbie looking to explore a new liquor. It might seem like a small thing, but browsing the supermarket shelves and seeing all kinds of new words, terms and acronyms can be overwhelming enough to put people off all together. After all, if you’re spending a good chunk of change on something, you want to know what it is! So, without further ado…
What do the letters on Cognac bottles mean?
The letters on Cognac bottles are age statements, with each set of letters setting a minimum age for the Cognac.
Now, Cognac will include different blends, so this only sets a minimum age for the youngest blend meaning most of the liquid may actually be older. Let’s go through the letters you will most commonly come across.
Firstly, there are VS and VSOP bottles, most regularly used in Cognac cocktails like those listed in our Beginner’s Guide, and shown throughout The Three Drinkers in Cognac:
VS
This means Very Special, and the youngest Cognac will have been aged for at least two years. By the way, if you see three stars, this means the same thing!
Martell VS Single Distillery
This is a bold and intense 2017 Cognac that uses eau-de-vie from one distillery, rather than a selection as is the norm. The citrus zest gives way to juicer plum in one of the smoothest liquids at this price point.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £29.99
VSOP
This means Very Superior Old Pale and is a blend of barrels of which the youngest is at least four years old. If you see VO (Very Old) then this means the whole thing is four years old.
Courvoisier VSOP Cognac
This VSOP from iconic Courvoisier won the prestigious Master award for Super Premium VSOP at the Luxury Masters. It’s matured for between 8 and 12 years so well beyond the minimum requirements of a VSOP, and is sourced from the renowned Grand Champagne and Petite Champagne Cognac regions. Vanilla and citrus give great depth and the warmth is super soft and pleasant with touches of coffee, brown sugar, buttered toast, oakiness, and cinnamon.
Size: UK 700ml / US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £36.95 / US $45.99
Beyond this, you will find variations of older cognac that may include terms like ‘Napoleon’ which is unofficial but usually refers to an age of at least six years, and some Vintage bottles that will print a distillation date but not a bottling date. More common though are XO and XXO:
XO
This means Extra Old and the youngest Cognac in the blend must be 10 years old or above. Bear in mind that if you have XO from before April 2018, that minimum is dropped to 6 years because the rules tightened up recently!
Rémy Martin XO
A blend of Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne, this is a quality Cognac masterfully produced by the historic Rémy Martin. Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard grapes are all used before 10 years of oak ageing. During this time, the grapes intertwine, and complex layers of oaky vanilla, caramel and spice are infused. It’s perfect for sipping with warm pastry notes to be explored alongside honied fruits and welcoming baking spice. Deliciously rich and smooth and many Cognac lovers’ go-to.
Size: UK 700ml / US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £163.99 / US $236.99
XXO
No prizes for guessing this one, it’s Extra Extra Old, using Cognac of at least 14 years of age.
Hennessy XXO Cognac
Head turner, collector’s bottle, whatever it is this is a very special XXO Cognac. The minimum for XXO is 14 years, but many of the blends in here are aged for much older, with some sat in French oak for more than 50 years. All that time results in so much richness with expressive notes of bitter orange, nutmeg, liquorice, subtle peppermint, and delicate spice. Complex, elegant and so refined, you could sit with this Cognac for hours.
Size: 1L
ABV: 40%
Find here: £520
There is another term that you’re likely to come across if you fall for Cognac as hard as we have and that’s Hors d’âge:
Hors d’âge
Outside of Age. This is a term assigned by Cognac’s governing body for liquids that are usually much older and want to distinguish themselves beyond the XXO minimum and display high quality.
André Petit Hors d’Age Grande Reserve de Famille 1990 Cognac
As we say, Hors d’âge overlaps with other age statements so don’t think that this category is ‘better’ than the others. It’s all down to personal taste and how you plan to use the Cognac, so every category brings something to the party. This André Petit bottle is less intense and more mellow, with woody, earthier notes, and richer subtle fruits. The 3 decades of ageing, on top of traditionally old methods at the time, has created a distinctive style that’s longer in the mouth and so satisfying. A glass of sophistication indeed.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £147
As is the case with exploring most new drinks, it’s sensible to start in the mid-ranges. There’s no need to splash out on something you’ve never tried before, but at the same time, you don’t want to be burnt by a low-quality Cognac that puts you off it all together.
We suggest pulling together some of the simple cocktails in our Beginner’s Guide with a bottle of VS or VSOP Cognac, and then exploring some older sippers!