There are strict standards for the classification of hard alcoholic beverages. At the same time, there are several options for divisions used in alcohol production. If we talk about the variety that is most often used by brandy producers, then this is the classification of the drink by aging, developed by Hennessy. Find out what the abbreviations XO and VSOP mean.
In the article:
Brandy aging classification according to Hennessy
The history of this type of classification dates back to 1870. The famous cognac producer Maurice Hennessy created a collection of old cognac drinks for a narrow circle of relatives and friends, giving it the name XO (Extra Old, that is, especially “old” - aged). Since then, cognac aged 6 years and above has been called XO, eventually becoming a quality class of the drink.
Prior to this, a "star" classification system was used, where the number of stars on the label is equal to the years of aging of the product. This system is now preserved to refer to cognac aging.
Starting from the XO class, Hennessy created his own classification system for noble alcoholic beverages, which is used by manufacturers of noble drinks.
- A.C. is the category of the youngest drinks, under 2 years old. It includes, as a rule, fruit and berry brandies.
- V. S. (Very Special) - the age of drinks in this category starts from 3 years.
- V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale) - drinks in this category are already considered more noble, because. their maturity is 4 years.
- V.V.S.O.P. Grande Reserve - noble grape brandy drinks, aged for at least 5 years, form the basis of this class of alcohol.
- X.O. – (Extra Old) Hors d’age Napoleon Extra Tres Vieux Vieille Reserve – this designation defines the uniqueness of the brandy, which belongs to the highest quality class. A drink in this category is aged for at least 6 years.
Express method
The official name of this method is "accelerated maturation of alcohol." Exposure in this way occurs in containers of any suitable material. Prepared vessels are first filled with oak material in the form of chips or shavings, and then poured with young alcohol. The next step is heating the contents of the containers to a temperature of 60 degrees. Forced oxygen supply is carried out 2-3 times a month. After six months of such aging, brandy becomes similar to aged in the traditional way for 3 years. But with all diligence, it is impossible to achieve an identical richness of taste and aroma.
Another way of maturing young alcohol can be attributed to the express method. "Boisege" (woodiness) - oak chocks soaked in old cognac are placed in neutral containers with young alcohol.
The fastest. This is not even an extract, but a preparation for bottling. Brandy is placed in containers and kept open for some time. During this time, some of the essential substances evaporate. Then the process continues already closed. At this point, the brandy "rests". The preparation period lasts up to a year. This is how fruit and berry brandies are prepared, as well as rum and some types of tequila.
- a noble drink, revered since antiquity by aristocrats and members of royal families. The quality and price of refined alcohol depends on the manufacturing technology and the exposure time. The most refined taste is born from the meeting of noble spirits with the aroma of wood. Having “breathed” with oxygen, this union gives gourmets a unique bouquet of taste and aroma.
February 11th, 2018
Once upon a time, I managed to visit French Normandy at the factories for the production of Calvados and. We were then treated to this apple cider cognac at prices ranging from $80 to $1,500 per bottle. I didn’t try any options and varieties there, but as a result of all this, I realized one thing - I don’t understand anything about cognac and don’t understand anything at all. For me, everything was to one taste (well, let's not consider differences in strength and very bright tastes). And many around tried to feel the coriander, orange peels, the smell of oak barrels. No and no again.
It was there that I saw enough of such designations as XO, VS, VSOP. Let's find out what they mean.
A more aristocratic and noble drink in the world than natural French cognac, most likely, will not be found. However, in addition to personal preferences in terms of taste and smell, a true connoisseur will definitely pay attention to labeling and aging, which is extremely important. And already by the label, just by looking at it, the connoisseur will immediately determine, for example, what XO, VS, VSOP cognac and so on mean. Let's figure it out together...
Cognac classification
It will be extremely difficult for a person from the street, who was previously very superficially familiar with cognac, its production technology, as well as the peculiarities of use, to figure out from the start what is the age of this noble drink. That is, to understand how many years this liquid spent in an oak barrel before it hit the consumer's table.
Only a few people in the world can calculate the approximate age by taste, color, smell and other indicators, and for the rest, labels have been invented, on which all the necessary information is indicated.
Cognac age
If you really want to become a connoisseur and gourmet, it does not hurt to first understand that the age, or rather, the aging of cognac is considered exactly until it is poured from the barrel into a glass container, most often into a bottle. At this moment, he instantly stops "aging" and no matter how many years pass, he will remain exactly the same as before.
In fact, the purchase of cognac by an ignorant person is a bit like buying a lottery ticket, because you never know for sure whether you are lucky or not.
It’s the same with cognac, because it seems like well-known names and brands flash in the manner of Remy Martin or Hennessy, and beautiful large marking letters VSOP, XO, and what all this Chinese letter means is not at all clear. On the other hand, there are more modest markings, such as KV, KS, OS and others, which also do not hurt to study.
French roots, technology and endurance
Cognac was originally invented by winemakers in France, after they learned to distill young grape wine of special varieties twice into the purest distillate and store it tightly corked in oak barrels for many years. It is in these barrels that the drink acquires its unique color, amazing aroma and stunning taste.
But the markings on the labels do not mean anything new or incomprehensible, but just mark its age. For example, VSOP cognac, what does such a label mean, what does it refer to and how to understand what kind of drink is in front of you? You need to start with the fact that cognac can come exclusively from France, this is enshrined in law, no other drinks can be called that way.
There are some exceptions, for example, Armenian cognac, the quality control of which is carried out by a French company. All the same, such a drink has its own labeling and French standards are not allowed to be used here.
Strictly ensure that the original markings XO, VSOP, VS are respected, a company called the French National Interprofessional Bureau of Cognacs is assigned.
Age of cognacs on various scales
So how do you make the right choice and take exactly the bottle that is definitely of high quality, long exposure, and, consequently, a special smell and taste.
First of all, you can judge and aging by the stars on the label, each of them hides exactly ten months spent by the drink in a corked oak barrel.
It is remarkable that the beginning of cognac aging always begins at the same time, namely from one in the morning on the first of April of each year, when the raw materials must already be processed, and the grape distillate is cleaned and poured into aging tanks.
Thus, there cannot be less than three stars on the label, since the minimum aging period for ordinary cognac is at least thirty months. However, besides the classification by aging, which we will discuss below, there are other designations that you can see on French bottles, so it won’t hurt to get acquainted with them in order to be fully prepared for surprises.
C (Cognac) - cognac.
E (Special) - special.
O (Old) - old.
V (Very) - very.
S (Superior) - excellent.
P (Pale) - pale.
X (Extra) - extra.
If you are going to become connoisseurs of French cognacs, it does not hurt to understand this in more detail, to find out, for example, what VS cognac means so as not to lose face at a dinner party or reception.
Authentic French markings
Without trying, one can only superficially judge the qualities of a particular drink. However, when it comes to real French cognac, then by what is written on the label it is already possible to conclude what properties and qualities are inherent in this version of alcohol, provided that it is original and not fake.
It will not be difficult to figure it out at all, just wanting is enough, since everything here is limited to four or five letters.
The easiest answer is what VS means on cognac and it means that we are talking about a drink aged in an oak barrel for at least two and a half years. Also, such alcohol is called Trois Etoiles, that is, "three stars".
The second marking option VO means Very Old or Reserve, which translates as very old. Such cognac is called three-year-old.
Deciphering cognac VSOP - Very Superior Old Pale. This means that you have a very old cognac, aged for at least four years, but often much more. Because what VSOP means on cognac is not at all difficult to understand.
One more question: what does VVSOP mean in cognac and how does it translate? There is nothing complicated here either, Very-Very Superior Old Pale or Grande Reserve means a very, very old cognac, high-quality and light, aged for at least five years.
It remains to figure out what XO cognac means, but there will be no difficulties here either. Extra Old is a very old cognac, which has been aged for six years or more, which in itself inspires respect.
Everything that is older, by the standards of professionals, cannot be classified, even if it stays in a barrel for twenty or thirty years. Experts believe that such a long time cannot guarantee blending. Therefore, it was decided to ban the labeling of cognac older than six years at the legislative level.
entertaining
Many mistakenly believe that the words on the labels of French cognac, in the manner of Extra, Napoleon or Grand Reserve, are brands and names, but in reality it is not so. This is a labeling of a drink by aging and classification, but not a personal name or the name of a manufacturing company.
It is impossible to call domestic drinks fully natural, since cognac can be French and nothing more.
However, in Soviet times, and even now, the creation of such drinks was popular, among which Armenian cognac was especially famous, the quality of which is really recognized by the most prominent winemakers in France.
Since there is a huge offer on the market, and the quality of the drink is really high, it does not hurt to study the domestic classification of cognacs, which was invented and put into effect in Soviet times. She works to this day.
Most often, alcohol is marked with stars, they go one per year, and three years is considered the minimum exposure. Ordinary cognacs from the times of the USSR can have from one to five stars.
Vintage cognacs were considered more elite and expensive, the classification of which should be understood in more detail. For example, it is interesting to know what KV cognac means and what it testifies to, therefore it is worth studying everything from this place in sufficient detail.
KV - aged cognac - a drink that has been aging for at least six years.
KVVK - aged cognac of the highest quality - an alcoholic drink that has been aged for more than eight years.
KS - old cognac - this means that the drink has an age of about ten, or even more, years.
OS is a very old cognac, which has been aged in oak barrels in the cellars and cellars of Armenia for twenty years or more. These are the most elite varieties, the price of which sometimes overshadows the original French drinks.
Everything that is aged even longer already belongs to collection alcohol and it is unlikely that it is intended just to drink a bottle with friends, because it will cost a fortune, which means that an appropriate occasion is needed.
Thus, even without tasting alcohol, you can already imagine how the contents of the bottle are different and whether it is worth paying the price indicated on the label for it.
At the beginning of the article, it should be mentioned that only real French cognacs are subject to VSOP classification. Cognac itself is one of the representatives of grape brandy produced in the city of the same name, which is located in the Charente region.
The boundaries of the area producing this strong alcoholic drink are strictly regulated by law and have special regulations and requirements. Cognac is originally a French drink. So it was and always will be.
No other drink in the world has the right to be called by this name. Unfortunately, such a law has not yet been adopted by the European Union, and the familiar word cognac can be seen on the labels of drinks that have nothing to do with cognac.
At the beginning of the last century, the National Interprofessional Cognac Bureau adopted the fundamental standard for cognac classification, where the main principle is the age of the drink.
The VSOP category is the world's best-selling cognac product group. The main factor of active sales is excellent quality at an affordable price. A pleasant fortress combined with vanilla notes and floral tones cannot leave anyone indifferent.
Of course, VSOP cognac is not able to compete with its older brothers of the premium class, such as XO or Extra, and it does not need to be. It is bright and despite its youth, it is quite a mature drink. The color palette of cognac category VSOP has a pleasant, light amber color.
It is made from white grape varieties grown in the great terroirs of Grand Champagne, Petit Champagne, Fain Bois and Borderies. Each of which gives the grapes its own taste, including a bright taste and minerality. Ugni Blanc is recognized as the most ideal grape for the production of VSOP cognac.
Cognac, with the letters VSOP on the label, always remains a welcome guest in every home, and it truly deserves it.
The abbreviation VSOP in English is read as Very Superior Old Pale, and its literal translation means "Very Superior Old Pale". If we compare with Russian or Armenian cognacs, which are more familiar to Russians, then the Very Superior Old Pale category could be compared with 5-star options. For your information, the correct reading of the abbreviation VSOP is ve-es-ow-pi.
French cognac, which has the letters VSOP on its label, indicates that it contains cognac spirits of at least 4 years of aging. However, this does not mean that the entire contents of the bottle were subjected to a four-year exposure. Cognac blend is a complex, unique process, and its age-old virtues are kept in strict confidence by producers and passed down from generation to generation.
The most important rule of good cognac is aging in oak barrels. You should not think that we are talking about an ordinary oak that grows in deciduous forests. Barrels for cognac aging are made from especially precious oak wood, which grows only in two regions of France, these are Limousin and Troncet. A real oak barrel is the key to a unique success.
It cannot be said that all VSOP cognacs are the same in their taste. Each cognac house produces unique creations in terms of composition and blend. A VSOP bottle may contain 7 or even 10-year-old alcohol, but one single drop of 4-year-old cognac does not allow the drink to have the highest classification.
VS transcript and extract
VS (Very special) - cognac is made on the basis of 2-year-old spirits, but in practice the aging of spirits in such cognac will be 4-6 years.
XO transcript and extract
XO (Extra Old) - cognac is made on the basis of 6-year-old spirits, but in practice the aging of spirits in such cognac will be 20-30 years.
A more aristocratic and noble drink in the world than natural French cognac, most likely, will not be found. However, in addition to personal preferences in terms of taste and smell, a true connoisseur will definitely pay attention to labeling and aging, which is extremely important. And already by the label, just by looking at it, the connoisseur will immediately determine, for example, what XO, VS, VSOP cognac and so on mean. Let's figure it out together...
Cognac classification
It will be extremely difficult for a person from the street, who was previously very superficially familiar with cognac, its production technology, as well as the peculiarities of use, to figure out from the start what is the age of this noble drink. That is, to understand how many years this liquid spent in an oak barrel before it hit the consumer's table.
Only a few people in the world can calculate the approximate age by taste, color, smell and other indicators, and for the rest, labels have been invented, on which all the necessary information is indicated.
Cognac age
If you really want to become a connoisseur and gourmet, it does not hurt to first understand that the age, or rather, the aging of cognac is considered exactly until it is poured from the barrel into a glass container, most often into a bottle. At this moment, he instantly stops "aging" and no matter how many years pass, he will remain exactly the same as before.
In fact, the purchase of cognac by an ignorant person is a bit like buying a lottery ticket, because you never know for sure whether you are lucky or not.
It’s the same with cognac, because it seems like well-known names and brands flash in the manner of Remy Martin or Hennessy, and beautiful large marking letters VSOP, XO, and what all this Chinese letter means is not at all clear. On the other hand, there are more modest markings, such as KV, KS, OS and others, which also do not hurt to study.
French roots, technology and endurance
Cognac was originally invented by winemakers in France, after they learned to distill young grape wine of special varieties twice into the purest distillate and store it tightly corked in oak barrels for many years. It is in these barrels that the drink acquires its unique color, amazing aroma and stunning taste.
But the markings on the labels do not mean anything new or incomprehensible, but just mark its age. For example, VSOP cognac, what does such a label mean, what does it refer to and how to understand what kind of drink is in front of you? You need to start with the fact that cognac can come exclusively from France, this is enshrined in law, no other drinks can be called that way.
There are some exceptions, for example, Armenian cognac, the quality control of which is carried out by a French company. All the same, such a drink has its own labeling and French standards are not allowed to be used here.
Strictly ensure that the original markings XO, VSOP, VS are respected, a company called the French National Interprofessional Bureau of Cognacs is assigned.
Age of cognacs on various scales
So how do you make the right choice and take exactly the bottle that is definitely of high quality, long exposure, and, consequently, a special smell and taste.
First of all, you can judge and aging by the stars on the label, each of them hides exactly ten months spent by the drink in a corked oak barrel.
It is remarkable that the beginning of cognac aging always begins at the same time, namely from one in the morning on the first of April of each year, when the raw materials must already be processed, and the grape distillate is cleaned and poured into aging tanks.
Thus, there cannot be less than three stars on the label, since the minimum aging period for ordinary cognac is at least thirty months. However, besides the classification by aging, which we will discuss below, there are other designations that you can see on French bottles, so it won’t hurt to get acquainted with them in order to be fully prepared for surprises.
WITH(Cognac) - cognac.
E(Special) - special.
ABOUT(Old) - old.
V(Very) - very much.
S(Superior) - excellent.
P(Pale) - pale.
X(Extra) - extra.
If you are going to become connoisseurs of French cognacs, it does not hurt to understand this in more detail, to find out, for example, what VS cognac means so as not to lose face at a dinner party or reception.
Authentic French markings
Without trying, one can only superficially judge the qualities of a particular drink. However, when it comes to real French cognac, then by what is written on the label it is already possible to conclude what properties and qualities are inherent in this version of alcohol, provided that it is original and not fake.
It will not be difficult to figure it out at all, just wanting is enough, since everything here is limited to four or five letters.
The easiest answer is what VS on cognac and this means that we are talking about a drink aged in an oak barrel for at least two and a half years. Also, such alcohol is called Trois Etoiles, that is, "three stars".
Second marking option VO means Very Old or Reserve, which translates as very old. Such cognac is called three-year-old.
Cognac decoding VSOP– Very Superior Old Pale. This means that you have a very old cognac, aged for at least four years, but often much more. Because what VSOP means on cognac is not at all difficult to understand.
Another question: what does VVSOP on cognac and how does it translate? There is nothing complicated here either, Very-Very Superior Old Pale or Grande Reserve means a very, very old cognac, high-quality and light, aged for at least five years.
It remains to figure out what cognac means XO, but there will be no difficulties here either. Extra Old is a very old cognac, which has been aged for six years or more, which in itself inspires respect.
Everything that is older, by the standards of professionals, cannot be classified, even if it stays in a barrel for twenty or thirty years. Experts believe that such a long time cannot guarantee blending. Therefore, it was decided to ban the labeling of cognac older than six years at the legislative level.
entertaining
Many mistakenly believe that the words on the labels of French cognac, in the manner of Extra, Napoleon or Grand Reserve, are brands and names, but in reality it is not so. This is a labeling of a drink by aging and classification, but not a personal name or the name of a manufacturing company.
Cognac aging according to the Soviet scale
It is impossible to call domestic drinks fully natural, since cognac can be French and nothing more.
However, in Soviet times, and even now, the creation of such drinks was popular, among which Armenian cognac was especially famous, the quality of which is really recognized by the most prominent winemakers in France.
Since there is a huge offer on the market, and the quality of the drink is really high, it does not hurt to study the domestic classification of cognacs, which was invented and put into effect in Soviet times. She works to this day.
Most often, alcohol is marked with stars, they go one per year, and three years is considered the minimum exposure. Ordinary cognacs from the times of the USSR can have from one to five stars.
Vintage cognacs were considered more elite and expensive, the classification of which should be understood in more detail. For example, it is interesting to know what KV cognac means and what it testifies to, therefore it is worth studying everything from this place in sufficient detail.
HF- aged cognac - a drink that has been aging for at least six years.
KVVK- Aged cognac of the highest quality - an alcoholic beverage, the exposure of which has exceeded eight years.
KS- cognac is old - this means that the drink is about ten or even more years old.
OS- very old - cognac, which was aged in oak barrels in the cellars and cellars of Armenia for twenty years or more. These are the most elite varieties, the price of which sometimes overshadows the original French drinks.
Everything that is aged even longer already belongs to collection alcohol and it is unlikely that it is intended just to drink a bottle with friends, because it will cost a fortune, which means that an appropriate occasion is needed.
Thus, even without tasting alcohol, you can already imagine how the contents of the bottle are different and whether it is worth paying the price indicated on the label for it.
Cognac - what does it mean XO, VSOP, VSIn the USSR, according to age, cognacs were divided into ordinary (up to 5 years of aging) and vintage (from 6 years of aging). The French categorization by age is very conditional in the sense that the manufacturer often ages cognac in barrel for a longer period than required by law.
The aging period is “counted” from one in the morning on April 1, following the official cessation of the distillation of wine of this crop. The “count”, or cognac age control, starts with “00” and ends with “6”. The first three "accounts" are not taken into account in the age category table, because they are an intermediate link in the technological process of production. According to the legislation, the minimum age of cognac, which has the right to go on sale, is 2 years of aging in an oak barrel or "account 2":
Score 00: is the distillation account (until March 31st);
Count 0: starts on April 1, after the end of distillation;
Score 1: the first year of cognac aging in oak barrels;
Score 2: V.S. (Very Special), Selection, de Luxe, Trois Etoiles - at least 2 years;
Score 3: Superior - at least 3 years;
Score 4: V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale), V.O. (Very Old), Vieux, Reserve - at least 4 years;
Score 5: V.V.S.O.P. (Very Very Superior Old Pale), Grande Reserve - at least 5 years;
Score 6: X.O. (Extra Old), Extra, Napoleon, Royal, Tres Vieux, Vieille Reserve - at least 6 years
The classification of cognacs aged (the youngest spirits) over 6.5 years is prohibited by the Bureau, which believes that it is impossible to control blending processes for periods over 6.5 years.
But a certain “average” category is VSOP. In this category, drinks have their own identity.
For example, Gautier cognac. It is an amazing combination of the best cognac spirits, which have been aged for at least 12 years. Its assemblage includes about 80 spirits, the oldest of which is 25 years old. Cognac maturation takes place under special conditions that contribute to the acquisition of unique color and taste characteristics of the drink. The cellars in which Gautier VSOP is aged have an increased moisture regime, as they are located deep below the river level. In the process of aging, the drink acquires a unique delicate structured taste, saturated with notes of dried fruits and vanilla and the color of dark amber.
Cognac Kazumian is good as a digestif, and served with ice is able to replace an aperitif. The age of cognac spirits is about 8 years. It is elegant, with a well-developed, full, powerful aroma, in which light woody tones, vanilla and chocolate tones are clearly felt.
Another brand, Meukow, produces a good cognac in the VSOP category. It is amber in color, has a powerful and savory aroma with woody tones that continue into a soft, rich taste and a sweet vanilla aftertaste. The age of cognac spirits is on average 6-8 years.
You can offer no less interesting option - cognac Davidoff Classic. This cognac is an assemblage of more than 40 spirits. Due to the long aging in oak barrels, it gets a dark amber color and aroma of Limousin oak. This cognac has an oily texture and a memorable aftertaste; as conceived by the creators, it should serve as an excellent addition to the Davidoff cigars.
Well, Courvoisier, Hennessy, Martell are cognacs that are drunk all over the world and which needs no introduction.”
And finally, a little about how to drink cognac.
Cognac glass
Now it is already difficult to talk about the traditions of drinking cognac, because time is rapidly changing everything. Until recently, a “snifter” (eng. Snifter) (from the English verb to sniff - to sniff, inhale through the nose) or a spherical glass narrowed upwards, with a large bowl (about 840 ml) and a short leg was considered a traditional cognac glass. This glass was held in the palm of the hand, warming the cognac with its warmth, rotating the cognac along the walls of the bowl and enjoying its aromas, plunging the nose into the glass. But, time has made its own adjustments, and now a “tulip” or a glass with a bowl in the shape of a tulip bud (about 140 ml) on an elongated stem is already considered a traditional glass. This glass is held by the stem, like a wine glass, the cognac is rotated along the walls of the bowl, allowing it to actively "breathe" oxygen, and enjoy the aromas of cognac through the narrow "exit" of the glass. Which is better is determined by the consumer himself.
Cognac is never cooled or heated, the optimum temperature is room temperature.
