1765

THE HENNESSY COGNAC DISTILLERY
WAS FOUNDED BY RICHARD HENNESSY,
AN IRISH OFFICER SERVING IN
THE ARMY OF LOUIS XV

1794

FIRST DELIVERIES OF HENNESSY
COGNAC TO AMERICA

Hennessy cognac starts to become more and more popular in the United States, a country that had gained its independence just 18 years before.

1817

CREATION OF V.S.O.P

The Prince of Wales, later King George IV of Great Britain, was a great connoisseur of cognac. He asked Hennessy to create a "very superior old pale cognac".
Since then the initials V.S.O.P – Very Superior Old Pale – have been used as a benchmark for the entire industry.

1818

FIRST DELIVERIES OF HENNESSY
COGNAC TO RUSSIA

Empress Maria Federovna asked Maison Hennessy to produce the most exceptional cognac as a birthday present for her son Czar Alexander I. After that, the imperial family regularly ordered Hennessy cognac.

1856

HENNESSY FAMILY COAT OF ARMS,
THE BRAS ARMÉE,
BECOMES THE BRAND SYMBOL

The iconic fist clutching a hatchet refers to founder Richard Hennessy's 12-year army career with the French, earning him French citizenship.

1865

CREATION OF A STAR BASED CLASSIFICATION
SYSTEM FOR COGNAC QUALITIES

Maurice Hennessy, great-grandson of founder Richard Hennessy, decided to create a cognac classification. He used varying numbers of stars to designate different quality, giving rise to Hennessy's Three Star Cognac, today known as V.S (Very Special). Soon this classification was adopted by the entire industry.

1870

MAURICE HENNESSY CREATES X.O
THE ORIGINAL

Maurice Hennessy created the X.O (eXtra Old) classification of cognac. Originally for family and friends, it is today a worldwide reference for cognacs.

1947

CREATION OF THE X.O CARAFE

Gerald de Geoffre de Chabrignac, Richard Hennessy's nephew,
created the now distinctive X.O flacon design.

1979

CREATION OF HENNESSY PARADIS

Master Blender Maurice Fillioux created Hennessy Paradis – a completely unique cognac that blends more than a hundred exceptional eaux-de-vie.

1996

CREATION OF RICHARD HENNESSY

Master Blender Yann Fillioux created Richard Hennessy, a cognac that approaches perfection. Made especially for true connoisseurs, this masterpiece cognac embodies 250 years of savoir faire and history and is bottled in numbered, hand-blown crystal carafes.

2011

CREATION OF PARADIS IMPERIAL

Inspired by the cognac Hennessy created for Czar Alexander I in 1818, Master Blender Yann Fillioux created Paradis Imperial. This cognac features a large proportion of eaux-de-vie from the Maison's 19th century reserve, creating a cognac of exceptional elegance, finesse and stature.