THE FIELD GUIDE VOL. VI

118 Cognacs, Decoded

Charente Ugni Blanc grape distillation, Charentais alembic copper stills, XO aging, and Limousin oak barrels.

THE FIELD BOARD

Charentais Double Distillation

Cognac Grades Explained

01

V.S.

Very Special • Youngest Eau-de-Vie 2 Years

The entry grade. Bright, fruit-driven and built for mixing rather than contemplation.

  • Grape
  • Fresh oak
  • Lively
  • Youthful

BottlesHennessy V.S • Martell V.S • Rémy Martin V.S

Best forSidecar • Cognac Summit • Cognac & tonic

02

V.S.O.P.

Very Superior Old Pale • Minimum 4 Years

The bartender's grade. Enough oak to hold structure, enough fruit to stay expressive in a cocktail.

  • Vanilla
  • Stone fruit
  • Rounded
  • Versatile

BottlesHennessy V.S.O.P • Courvoisier V.S.O.P • Rémy Martin V.S.O.P

Best forSazerac • Vieux Carré • Neat

03

Napoléon

Minimum 6 Years

Sits between V.S.O.P. and X.O., often used for houses that want a distinct step before the top tier.

  • Candied fruit
  • Spice
  • Deeper oak
  • Refined

BottlesCourvoisier Napoléon • Bisquit Napoléon

Best forNeat • Cognac Old Fashioned

04

X.O.

Extra Old • Minimum 10 Years

The minimum age for X.O. rose from six to ten years in 2018, tightening the grade considerably.

  • Dried fruit
  • Leather
  • Rancio
  • Long

BottlesHennessy X.O • Martell X.O • Delamain Pale & Dry X.O

Best forNeat in a tulip • After dinner

05

X.X.O.

Extra Extra Old • Minimum 14 Years

A grade created in 2018 to give the oldest commercial blends their own recognised category.

  • Antique oak
  • Tobacco
  • Dense
  • Rare

BottlesHennessy X.X.O • Frapin X.O V.I.P

Best forNeat only • Slow sipping

06

Hors d'Âge

Beyond Age • Producer's Own Mark

Officially equivalent to X.O., but used by houses for blends considered too old to date meaningfully.

  • Rancio
  • Walnut
  • Complex
  • Silky

BottlesDelamain Vesper • Hine Antique X.O

Best forNeat • Cellar tasting

07

Fine Champagne

Grande + Petite Champagne Blend

A blend drawn only from the two Champagne crus, with at least half coming from Grande Champagne.

  • Floral
  • Chalky
  • Elegant
  • Ages well

BottlesRémy Martin V.S.O.P • Rémy Martin X.O

Best forNeat • Stirred cognac cocktails

08

Cru Cognac

Six Growing Areas

Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires each mark the spirit differently.

  • Chalk soils
  • Slow ageing
  • Terroir led
  • Site specific

BottlesFrapin (Grande Champagne) • Camus Borderies

Best forComparative tasting • Neat

09

Single Estate & Vintage

Grower Bottled • Single Year

Small producers bottling their own harvest, sometimes as a dated vintage rather than a house blend.

  • Individual
  • Unblended
  • Vintage dated
  • Small batch

BottlesPaul Giraud • Ragnaud-Sabourin • Grosperrin

Best forNeat • Collectors • Vertical tastings

Age Grades at a Glance

GradeMeaningYoungest Eau-de-VieUse
V.S.Very Special2 yearsMixing
V.S.O.P.Very Superior Old Pale4 yearsCocktails or neat
NapoléonHouse mid tier6 yearsNeat
X.O.Extra Old10 yearsSipping
X.X.O.Extra Extra Old14 yearsSipping
Hors d'âgeBeyond ageX.O. level or olderSipping

Myth vs Fact

MythThe age on the label tells you how old the cognac is.

FactGrades state the minimum age of the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend. Most blends contain far older spirit than the grade requires.

Did You Know

Cognac is twice distilled in Charentais copper pot stills and made overwhelmingly from Ugni Blanc, a thin, high-acid, low-alcohol white grape that would make poor drinking wine but excellent brandy.

Behind the Bar

Use V.S. and V.S.O.P. where citrus and sugar are involved, and let X.O. and above stay in the glass. Warming a cognac in your palm rather than over a flame keeps the aromatics intact.