Hennessy Blends Time and Spirit

Hennessy’s remarkable consistency is thanks to the tasting committee and their skill for blending. Hennessy has 380,000 barrels in their cellars, which the blenders use like paints on a canvas to create the unique taste of Hennessy.

The blending committee meets here in the “Grand Bureau,” a room never open to the public, where they taste dozens of samples each day. Members of the committee taste each batch of Hennessy Cognac at least once a year and are responsible for specific parts of the Hennessy creation process.

New members are not even allowed to add their opinion to the discussion until they have been on the team for at least ten years.

Most of the 1,500 growers Hennessy works with are responsible for making the base wine used for creating Cognac. Hennessy takes over for aging and blending, ensuring the final product has the consistency and continuity Hennessy is famous for, regardless of what happens year-to-year in the fields.

For eight generations, master blenders from the Fillioux family have served as stewards of Hennessy’s tradition. Renaud Fillioux is the latest in the line, stretching back nearly two centuries.

Hennessy’s taste isn’t an accident. By purchasing eaux-de-vie from carefully selected growers and ageing the liquid in barrels of French oak from specific forests, Hennessy creates the building blocks for their beloved Cognac.

Cognac is distilled twice, with only the highest quality eaux-de-vie selected for the second distillation. The repetition of the process ensures that only the purest of liquids is created, packed with concentrated flavors and aromas. The distillation is handled by 19 distilleries employed exclusively by Hennessy, and conducted in Charente copper pot stills, as dictated by French law.

Hennessy owns and operates 200 hectares of vineyards, primarily for viticultural research and development. They disseminate the fruits of their research to their 1,500 grape growers to help improve sustainability and yield.

Hennessy’s cellars currently store approximately 380,000 barrels in 65 aging cellars, with 3,500 batches of eau-de-vie. Hennessy’s grand cellars provide a safe space for Cognac to age, and the environment itself plays a role, imparting unique flavor and terroir through the vapor exchange between barrel and cellar.

Historically, the Charante river provided an easy route for the export of Hennessy’s Cognac, from their headquarters on the riverbank. Now, the river creates the perfect backdrop for the creation of this beautiful, beloved spirit.