Advice to the novice cognac drinker

This page is intended for people who want to buy a bottle of cognac, but have little or no knowledge of cognac. What should you look out for?

Apart from the brand, there are two other important things to look out for: how old is the cognac (the age) and which cognac region (the Cru) does it come from.

AGE:

Cognac gets better the longer it sits in the barrel to develop. But once it is in the bottle, the quality does not change. Cognac producers often let cognac ‘age’ in the barrel for many years. This gives the cognac its age, which is also always indicated on the bottle. The most common age designations are VS (2 years), VSOP (4 years), Napoléon (6 years) and XO (10 years). Two years old for a VS or four years for a VSOP does not mean that the cognac is on average two or four years old, but that the youngest cognac used in the bottle is at least 2 years old. So the average age can still be quite a bit higher.

Table: main age indications on the bottle

Age indication	Age (legal)	note	frequently used alternative terms
VS	minimum of 2 years		***, 3 etoiles, selection, special
VSOP	minimum of 4 years		Vieux, VO, Réserve
Napoléon	minimum of 6 years
XO	minimum of 10 years	Until 2018, this was still 6 years, just like Napoleon	Très vieux, Vieille réserve, Extra
XXO	minimum of 14 years	little used yet
Hors d'age	minimum of 6 years	On average usually (much) older than XO	Vénérable, Ancestrale

REGION or CRU:

There are six different cognac regions. These are called cru’s. The best region is Grande champagne which is also called Premier cru (or 1er Cru). In descending order then: Petite champagne, Borderies, Fins bois, Bons bois and Bois ordinaires. In the past, the cognacs you could buy from the well known houses were almost all a blend, that is, they were made by blending cognacs from the different cru’s. Nowadays, you increasingly see the cru listed on the label. That means the cognac is made entirely from grapes from that region.

The smaller and often lesser-known producers who make cognac from the grapes of their own vineyard, the so-called bouilleurs de cru, had always made cognac from one cru (with a few exceptions).

Next, you may also see Fine champagne on the label. This means the cognac is made from the two best cru’s: Grande champagne (at least 50%) and Petite champagne.
The Fine Cognac designation has no legal status and therefore means nothing more than ‘good cognac’.

BRAND:

The four major brands are: Hennessy, Martell, Rémy Martin and Courvoisier.
Other well-known brands are: Camus, Delamain, Frapin, Bache Gabrielsen, Bisquit, Godet, Prunier.
Lesser-known brands that are also still available abroad and certainly not bad either: Meukow, Chateau de Montifaud, De Luze, Gautier, Braastad, ABK6.
And thenn of course all the smaller brands, especially the bouilleurs de cru, among which real gems can be found.

For an extensive list: Brand information of active cognac producers

ADVICE FOR A FIRST PURCHASE:

Do not buy VS grade. It is meant to be mixed with another drink or cooked with. Buy at least a VSOP, but personally I would go for a Napoléon or XO.
A blend from one of the better-known brands certainly won’t be bad. But if you can find a smaller brand from the Grande champagne or Petite champagne region, that will usually turn out well and it is of course more adventurous. A ‘Fine champagne’ is also a good choice.

I always leave a bottle that says Fine Cognac or Premier Cru with no age indication on it.