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[1] It’s a beauty—and it has a just-as-lovely gift box (photo © Hennessy.
[2] Engrave a personal message on your X.O. Gift Photo courtesy Hennessy.
[3] Riedel makes a glass that improves upon the shape of the classic snifter, delivering more aroma and flavor (photo © Riedel).
[4] A Sidecar, perhaps the most popular Cognac cocktail. The recipe: 1-1/2 ounces Cognac, 3/4 ounce orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, etc.), 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice, orange twist for garnish (photo © Rémy Martin).
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This is all about Cognac, where X.O. stands for Extra Old. It bears no relation to the X.O. that is short for a hug and a kiss.
Since we love a digression into related information, we asked:
What is the history of this custom? Why not HKHK instead of XOXO? There’s more about that below.
But first, the Cognac. we’d like to suggest a luxurious Valentine’s Day gift: X.O. Cognac, a divine apéritíf or nightcap.
This style of Cognac was created in 1870 by Maurice Hennessy, to be enjoyed with his circle of friends. The bold, intense and complex flavors are based on much longer aging.
Some of the 100 eaux-de-vie* assembled to create X.O were aged for 30 years. M. Hennessy gave it the name X.O to signify “extra old.”
It’s a Cognac for connoisseurs, served neat, on ice or with a splash of still or sparkling water. Don’t even think of mixing it in a cocktail!
> Below: What do all those letters mean: V.O., V.S, V.S.O.P, etc.
> The history of Cognac.
> National Cognac Day is June 4th.
A LUXURIOUS VALENTINE GIFT
Deliver your hugs and kisses with a bottle of X.O. Cognac. In addition to Hennessy, it is made by a number of Cognac houses including Camus, Courvoisier, Martell, Rémy Martin and others. The bottles cost $150 and up.
While a bottle of Hennessy X.O., at the top of the price scale, can cost upwards of $200, we found it “on sale” at WineAnthology.com for $165.
If you’re not looking for a bargain, you can get a custom-engraved bottle directly from Hennessy. Your message is engraved on the back of the bottle, making it a lovely keepsake (see the photo #2).
We also like to give an engraved bottle of X.O. Cognac as a wedding gift or anniversary gift.
COGNAC CLASSIFICATIONS
It was Maurice Hennessy, great-grandson of company founder Richard Hennessy, who created the Cognac classification system.
He used varying numbers of stars to designate different quality, first producing Hennessy’s Three Star Cognac, today known as V.S (Very Special). His classification system was adopted by the entire industry.
When he was the Prince of Wales, King George IV of Great Britain asked Hennessy to create a “very superior old pale Cognac.”
It was designated V.S.O.P—Very Superior Old Pale—and since then, a letter system evolved to replace the stars.
V.O.: Very Old, aged a minimum of four years.
V.S.: Very Special. The youngest brandy in the blend has been aged for at least two years in cask. Also called Three Star.
V.S.O.P.: Very Superior Old Pale; the youngest spirit in the blend is aged four years in cask but the average can be 10 to 15 years.
X.O.: Extra Old. The youngest brandy is aged for at least six years but the average is 20 years or more. In 2016, the minimum storage age of the youngest brandy used in an XO blend will be 10 years.
Extra/Napoleon/Vielle Reserve: While regulations designate a minimum of 6 years of age for the youngest brandy, this average is usually older than X.O.
There are other age designations, but they are smaller productions and are not typically imported to the U.S.
Other terms to know:
Hors d’Age: Meaning “beyond age,” this is a rare Cognac that is off the designated age scale.
Varietal: Made using only one type of varietal grape.
Vintage: Aged and was put into the bottle in the year of the vintage.
Next: About X’s and O’s in personal communications.
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ABOUT X’s AND O’s
The abbreviation for “hugs and kisses,” XOXO, has been used for centuries to express love or good friendship at the end of a written letter or card (and these days at the end of an email or text message). The X stands for kiss and the O for hug.
The custom of placing X’s on envelopes and at the bottom of letters notes, signifying kisses, dates back to the Middle Ages. At that time, a Christian cross was drawn on documents or letters to indicate faith, honesty and sincerity. A kiss, indicated with an X, was then placed upon the cross by the signer as a display of his or her sworn oath.
A similar practice dates back to early Christian history. Since most people could neither read nor write, an X was used as their signature on documents, and an actual kiss was placed upon it as a show of sincerity. [Source]
What about the “O?” Current speculation is that it is of Jewish derivation, since Jews would not use the sign of the cross.
In terms of how the two symbols came together in the very non-legal “hugs and kisses”: Alas, dear reader, the answer is lost to history.
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*Eau de vie (eaux is the plural), pronounced oh-duh-VEE, is French for “water of life.” It’s a clear, colorless fruit brandy. After the brandy is aged in wood, it takes on its amber color. Cognac is a region in northern France; only brandies produced there can be called “Cognac.” The artisanship and strict production regulations in Cognac create a superior spirit. Generic “brandy” can be produced anywhere.
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