Hennessy VSOP Privilège
The Hennessy you can drink neat and still pour into a Sidecar without hesitation. Aged for at least four years in French oak, rounder than the VS and much more approachable than the XO.
What VSOP means on the label
VSOP stands for Very Superior Old Pale. It means that the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend has aged for at least four years in French oak, twice as long as the VS. Hennessy describes VSOP Privilège as a complete and harmonious blend, composed of eaux-de-vie selected for their powerful yet smooth structure, finesse and complex nuance.
In practice, it’s the house’s all-rounder. While the VS is still somewhat fiery and young, the VSOP has lost its rough edges: more cinnamon, more dried fruit and a longer, warmer finish. At the same time, it’s still lively enough for a classic cognac cocktail. In stores, it’s often listed simply as Hennessy VSOP; it’s the same bottle.
In brief
Round, warm and balanced
Dried fruit & vanilla
Raisins and apricot, with the sweet vanilla of oak. Less alcoholic than the VS.
Cinnamon and caramel
Smooth and round, with cinnamon and caramel. The structure is firm, but the sharpness of young cognac is gone.
Long and warm
A warm finish in which the oak and a light spicy note linger.
Flavor profile of Hennessy VSOP Privilège neat at room temperature. A drop of water brings the fruit forward.
How to taste VSOP at its best
VSOP is the bottle you learn to taste cognac with. Take your time with the first sip and experiment with water and ice.
Tasting with a drop of water
Pour 30 ml into a tulip-shaped glass, smell it and take a small sip. Then add a few drops of water: the alcohol recedes and the cinnamon and dried fruit come forward.
Cognac glasses →Over one large ice cube
Pour 40 ml VSOP over a large ice cube in a heavy tumbler. Swirl the glass for a minute; the cognac becomes cooler, smoother and slightly sweeter without becoming diluted.
Tumblers →In a Sidecar
Shake 50 ml VSOP, 20 ml Cointreau and 20 ml fresh lemon juice hard with ice, then strain into a chilled coupe. VSOP gives it more body than VS.
Go to the recipe →Classic cognac cocktails with VSOP
Most old cognac cocktails were made with a cognac mature enough to drink neat. That’s what VSOP is for.
Sidecar
Cognac, orange liqueur and lemon. VSOP creates a better balance between fruit and oak.
Sazerac
The original from New Orleans, with cognac, sugar, bitters and a rinse of absinthe.
Champagne Cocktail
A sugar cube with bitters, a splash of cognac and topped up with champagne.
Hot Toddy
Cognac with hot water, honey and lemon. The cinnamon in the VSOP fits it perfectly.The right glass for Hennessy VSOP
A tulip-shaped cognac glass for tasting, a heavy tumbler for serving over ice, a coupe for the Sidecar and an Irish coffee glass for the Hot Toddy.
More Hennessy flavors
Hennessy
Where it began. On the brand page, you'll find everything about Hennessy: origins, types and classic cocktails.
Go to Hennessy →
Hennessy XO
The blend from 1870. Deep and rich, with cacao, spices and candied fruit. For after dinner.
View Hennessy XO →
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 VSOP Privilège
Didn't find your question here? Read more on the Hennessy page or explore our cocktail recipes.
Everything about Hennessy →