After a run of whisky, we are moving to Cognac for a look at two of the category’s defining maisons: Rémy Martin and Hennessy. Alongside Martell and Courvoisier, they form the traditional ‘Big Four’ – houses whose global reach has long shaped how Cognac is produced, sold and understood. Depending on the source and measure used, these four brands account for roughly 85% of global Cognac volume and close to 90% of its value; in other words, they represent a very large share of the category rather than merely its most familiar labels.
The line-up puts three Rémy Martin expressions – 1738 Accord Royal, XO Excellence and the current XO – next to Hennessy XO, perhaps the best-known luxury Cognac bottling of them all. This review is not intended as a comprehensive study of either house, but as a useful cross-section of their modern, widely available ranges: from the accessible 1738 Accord Royal through Rémy Martin’s two takes on XO, and finally to Hennessy’s benchmark interpretation of the style. Four blends, then, assembled at scale from substantial reserves of mature eaux-de-vie – but also four chances to see how much personality remains once the big-house signatures take over. Expect something quite different from the cognacs we’re used to review.
Read more