Hennessy XO
The cognac Maurice Hennessy had made in 1870 for family and friends. Deep, powerful and yet elegant: a bottle to sip slowly, after dinner and in a good glass.
The first Extra Old, from 1870
Hennessy XO was developed in 1870 at the request of Maurice Hennessy. At first, it was intended only for family and close friends; due to its success, it was also put on sale two years later. It thus represented a new style of cognac: bold, rich and complex.
The blend consists of approximately one hundred eaux-de-vie, and the youngest eau-de-vie in it has aged for at least ten years, as the XO designation requires. This long stay in oak makes it deeper and woodier than VSOP, with cocoa, hard candy and candied fruit. It comes in the distinctive, rounded decanter.
In brief
Deep, powerful and elegant
Cocoa & candied fruit
Rich and layered: candied fruit, cocoa and spices, underpinned by old oak. The longer it stands in the glass, the more it reveals.
Hard candy and spices
Full-bodied and powerful, with hard candy, pepper and dark chocolate. Despite its depth, it remains smooth.
Very long
A long, elegant finish in which new layers keep emerging: wood, cocoa and a hint of dried fruit.
Flavor profile of Hennessy XO neat at room temperature, after ten minutes in the glass.
Drink XO slowly
With XO, everything revolves around time: time in the glass, time in your hand and time between sips.
Letting it breathe
Pour 30 ml into a cognac glass and let it rest for ten minutes before drinking. Hold the glass in your palm; the warmth opens up the cocoa and candied fruit.
Cognac glasses →With coffee and chocolate
After dinner, with an espresso and a piece of dark chocolate with 70% cocoa or more. The bitterness of coffee and cocoa brings out the sweeter side of the XO.
Coffee and drinks →Old Fashioned with XO
Stir 50 ml XO, 5 ml sugar syrup and 2 dashes of bitters briefly with ice in a tumbler, with a twist of orange zest. A cocktail that doesn’t hide the cognac.
Go to the recipe →Cocktails worthy of an XO
Use XO only in cocktails where the cognac remains the star: stirred, with few ingredients and no juice.
Cognac Old Fashioned
Sugar, bitters and orange zest. XO makes it a deep, woody drink.
Manhattan
Red vermouth and bitters, stirred and served in a coupe. With cognac instead of whisky, it is smoother and fruitier.
Brandy Alexander
Cognac, crème de cacao, and cream. The XO's cocoa comes through here.
French 75
The original version with cognac, lemon, sugar, and champagne. Festive yet robust.The right glass for Hennessy XO
A bulbous cognac glass or a narrow tasting glass for smelling the layers, a tumbler for the Old Fashioned, and a coupe for the Manhattan.
More Hennessy flavors
Hennessy
Where it all began. On the brand page, you can read everything about Hennessy: origins, types, and classic cocktails.
Go to Hennessy →
Hennessy VSOP Privilège
Rounder than VS, with cinnamon and dried fruit. Neat in a tulip glass or in a Sidecar.
View Hennessy VSOP Privilège →
Hennessy Paradis
Dozens of very old eaux-de-vie. Plums, honeysuckle, and oak, silky smooth and endlessly long.
View Hennessy Paradis →Everything about cognac: the types, the best-known brands, and the cocktails.
Questions about Hennessy XO
Can't find your question here? Read more on the Hennessy page or explore our cocktail recipes.
Everything about Hennessy →