In this article we will thoroughly study the productscognac house Hennessy. What are the properties of elite drinks of this brand? How to distinguish them from forgery? What do domestic consumers say about cognac? Particular attention will be paid here to the brand "Hennessey VSOP". This cognac has a very interesting story. And what else are Hennessy? We will decipher for you their abbreviation. But the fact that the Hennessy cognac house is part of the Louis Vuitton holding, a well-known manufacturer of luxury accessories and elite drinks, speaks of the high quality of its products. The main thing is that it should be authentic. How to protect against falsification, read in this article.
In the world of manufacturers of alcoholic beverages of the brandtraditionally bear the name of their inventors and first owners. This rule and Hennessy cognac house did not pass by. And it all began with the injury, which in 1745 Jacobite received Richard Hennessy, who served as captain in the Irish regiment of Louis XV, King of France. Since his way home was ordered, he decided to settle in the vicinity of Cognac and start a new life. The captain in retirement decided not to reinvent the wheel, but to do what almost all residents of the Charente department worked on - that is, to produce the distillate of the same name to the city. And the case for Richard Hennessy went. In 1765 he founded a cognac house, which gave his name, and in 1794 even started to work for export - he supplied his products to North America. But the brand "Hennessy VSOP" was born a little later - in 1817. And about the history of this drink should be told specifically.
So, in this fateful year 1817, the princeThe Welsh, heir to the throne of Great Britain (later he will rise to the throne under the name of George the Fourth) ordered Hennessey cognac. In his letter with wishes he indicated that he would like to receive "very superior old pale cognac". The first four words in English and were taken for the abbreviation of French cognacs. Little of. The abbreviation of V.S.O.P. Later it was used to classify not only cognacs in general, but also for armagnacs and brandy. News about the acquisition of elite goods is widening among royalty with the speed of a steppe fire, and already in the following year, 1818, the Empress Dowager Maria Fyodorovna orders Hennessy's first batch of drink. The popularity of the Hennessey brandy VSOP grew. In 1859 the first batch of the drink went to China. Three years before that, the cognac house had acquired the coat of arms. The hand holding the halberd now flaunts on the facial labels of this drink. In 1971, the cognac house merged with the producer of champagne Moët & Chandon - the largest in France. And in 1987 they joined the giant holding company - LVMH. This abbreviation stands for Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy.
Имеет ли какое-то отношение сокращение VSOP к cognac aging? Certainly! In 1865, Richard's great-grandson, Morris Richard Hennessy even proposed a new classification of his products - the asterisks that are familiar to us. These symbols on the bottle label indicate the minimum aging of the cognac spirits that were used in making the drink. This classification has taken hold, but not in the vicinity of the city of Cognac and not in the department of Charentes. In the production of local wine houses continue to use letters, although the general principle of binding to exposure is preserved. Thus, three years of aging of the drink correspond to the VS classification. The four stars are the Hennessy VSOP. Aging for more than five years takes brandy to the category of CW. Of course, measuring the quality of this elite drink exclusively with asterisks would be a significant simplification. After all, the main thing in brandy is assembly. Although the age of alcohols is also very important.
Давайте познакомимся поближе с продукцией этого respected wine house. The most common, it can be said ordinary, is the Hennessy V.S. cognac. This abbreviation stands for Very Special. The mark was issued in 1865 by the great-grandson of the founder of the firm Morris Hennessy. The name "very special" at one stroke crosses out a hint of ordinary. Still: forty spirits at the age of 2-7 years make up its assemblage. Hennessy Privilege VSOP has an even richer range of flavor combinations. Grapes for this cognac are grown in four districts of Charente. Assemblage forms sixty spirits from six to twelve years. For aging, only old oak barrels are used, the wood of which has already lost a part of the tannin, which makes the drink light, subtle and complex. And, finally, the top three classic Hennessy cognacs are closed by the brand H.O. (Extra Old). It was established in 1870 with the participation of more than a hundred alcohols with an exposure of 20 to 30 years.
In addition to the classic ruler (X.O, V.S.O.P. and V.S.), there are a number of elite drinks. This is Hennesy Paradies, first appeared on the market in 1979. Masters of assembly, the family of Fiyu, have been working with the Hennessy house for more than two hundred years, and each generation surprises the world with something new. In "Paradise" one hundred cognac spirits over 15 years are involved. In Pure White - a light brandy of the English type - alcohol from Fen Bois predominates, which gives the drink a light floral-fruity taste. Ian Fiyu in 1996 composed a new assembly, which was dedicated to the founder of the wine house. In Hennessy Richard participates in the grapes of Fol Blanche, collected in the distant 1800 and 1830-1860 gg. And, finally, the same Ian Fiyu in 2011, based on the Hennessy VSOP (the same one created for the king) created the Hennesy Imperial. It is impossible to ignore the collection cognacs, issued in limited batches. For example, to the Millenium was issued only 2000 decanters of the company "Baccarat" with an elite drink Hennessy Timeless. Eleven alcohols of the most successful harvests of the twentieth century took part in its manufacture. Especially worth mentioning is Hennessy Elips and Hennessy Private Reserve.
Customer - crown prince and future kingBritain George Four - was not a simple client. Therefore Richard Hennessey reacted very sensitively to his wishes. The letter stated "very superior old pale", that is, very old and soft. The task is not from the lungs. After all, the longer cognac is insisted on in oak barrels, the more it collects tannin, which makes its taste "more cautious". The winemaker approached the task creatively. He insisted alcohol in old, already reusable barrels of Limousin oak. Thanks to this reception the drink turned out with a special velvety taste, just melting in the mouth. "Hennessy VSOP" - the photo shows it - has a light amber color. The taste of this cognac is soft, well balanced, with shades of fresh grapes and honey. In a rich bouquet, you can smell the aromas of cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, and above these spices there is a faint smell of haze. The cognac has a long aftertaste. It clearly feels the notes of sweet fruits and almonds.
A good cognac by definition can not becheap. After all, they need to be masterfully blended and carefully grown. "Hennessy VSOP" 1 liter costs about forty euros. And it's in Duty Free shops. In domestic bills it is necessary to spread money also for the customs duty and the surplus value tax. However, the quality of the drink is worth it. Prices for collectible brands of brandy "Hennessy" in the Russian market start from several hundred thousand rubles (for example, for Timeless). And "WSOP" can be purchased for five thousand rubles per liter bottle. If you are offered a product at a lower price - this is a fake.
This is a typical digestive.The advice is to enjoy cognac in a relaxed atmosphere and not on an empty stomach. Pour the drink into digestive or brandy glasses. Slightly warm in the palms. They drink in small sips without having a snack. Only in this way, users say, you will feel the plume of spices and honey. Comments and experts recommend using Hennessy in its pure form. For cocktails, it's no good.
Hennessy is already a symbol.Luxury, refinement, impeccability. It's clear that many impure dealers try to cash in on his fame. How to distinguish an authentic drink from falsification? First, buy cognac (and other alcohol) only in trusted stores. Secondly, take a closer look at the container. The bottle should be free of chips, scratches, soldering traces. Gift boxes should not stain hands with paint, they are sold without scuffs and tears. The label on the authentic "Hennessy" is glued exactly, all the inscriptions and drawings are clear, the gilding is not rubbed off your fingers. The cork sits tightly, does not scroll and does not swing. Now jerk the bottle upside down. The original "Hennessy" air bubbles are large, and the drops that flow down the glass are viscous, leaving an oil trace. Reviews recommend paying attention to the transparency of the drink. Look at the bottle. If you see on the opposite side of the clear lines of your finger - in your hands the real "Hennessy VSOP".
