Cognac Price, Sizes & Best Guide (2024 Updated)

Last Updated on February 23, 2024 by Lydia Martin

Cognac represents tradition and is typically synonymous with luxury and wealth. It’s a reliable spirit that has stood the test of time for being the perfect choice for any celebration. The most common misconception about cognacs is that it’s only for the rich or men in suits to take a sip. Cognac is as bold and as strong as brandy, tequila, or gin – a certified man’s drink. Keep on reading to learn more about cognac price, definition, history, and tasting notes.

What Is Cognac? 

Cognac is a specific brandy made of distilled white wines. It must be double distilled using copper pot stills.

It must mature in French oak barrels (Limousin or Tronçais) for two years, minimum. A spirit can never be legally called cognac if it wasn’t made in Cognac, France.

It only uses white grape varieties from the Cognac region and its six crus: (1) Petite Champagne, (2) Bons Bois, (3) Borderies, (4) Fins Bois, (5) Bois Ordinaires, and (6) Grand Champagne.

Cognac can be made using white grape varieties found in Cognac, France [1].

Ugni Blanc is the most common grape variety, but cognac Eaux-de-vie also uses Colombard and Folle Blanche. 

How Is It Made? 

To make cognac, you must ferment white grapes for at least five to seven days. Usually, white grapes are locally grown in the Cognac region, hand-picked, and pressed.

After the fermentation process, the white wine then goes through a double distillation using copper pot stills.

After the double distillation, an eau-de-vie, a colorless spirit, is made. The eau-de-vie [2] is transferred into either Limousin or Tronçais French oak barrels to mature for a minimum of 2 years. 

After aging, depending on the cognac type, the cognac (still called eau-de-vie) is blended with other cognacs of varying ages to make the final product.

Fact: Cognac’s age statement always follows the youngest Eaux-de-vie used in the blend.

9 Cognac Age Categories

Official

1. VS

Very Special (VS) is the youngest cognac type, aged for a minimum of two years. It sometimes uses the “three stars” on the cognac label. Some labels use the words De Luxe, Sélection, or simply ***.

VS cognacs usually have livelier and fresher fruity aromas.

2. VSOP

VSOP means Very Superior Old Pale or Very Special Old Pale. The youngest eau-de-vie in its blend is four years. Some cognac brands label their bottles with Very Old, Réserve, or Vieux.

VSOP cognacs tend to be smoother and have clearer oaky notes and spices than the VS ones.

3. XO 

XO or Extra Old cognacs must be matured in oak barrels for at least ten years. Like the VS and VSOP types, the Extra Old cognac type is another English expression that shows strong bonds between Great Britain and America.

Cognac Hennessy first used the XO label in 1870. It became the gold standard for cognac categories that feature luxurious and rich spices, chocolate, dried fruits, and toffee.

4. XXO

XXO or Extra Extra Old cognacs are typically aged for a minimum of 14 years. This cognac age statement was officially used in 2018. The XXO is the oldest official age statement a cognac label can hold.

XXO cognacs are suitable on ice and can be served neat or paired with food.

Non-Official

5. Réserve Cognac

Reserve cognac is aged for an average of 10 years and is usually of better quality than a Napoleon, XO, or an Extra. 

This cognac, sometimes called Vieille Réserve or Réserve Familiale are usually more expensive. Cognac houses often use it for special occasions such as an anniversary.

6. Napoleon

Napoleon cognacs technically fall under the VSOP official category. However, a VSOP is called Napoleon if it is aged for more than six years. 

7. Extra Cognac

An Extra cognac is aged from 10 to 25 (or more) years. An Extra cognac is typically better in quality compared to an XO. This type of cognac is best served neat.

8. Hors d’Age 

Hors d’Age is usually aged between 30 and 50 years. Sometimes, it can even be aged for more than 100 years. This cognac, sometimes called “Beyond Age,” is almost like XO but can be aged longer. 

9. Cuvée Cognac

This cognac category does not necessarily refer to the cognac’s age but describes one specific blend or batch.

This category is often used in classifying champagnes. Still, when you see this classification in cognacs, it only means that the master blender wants to give it a special name instead of using XO or VSOP. 

It may also refer to a limited amount of a certain eau-de-vie blend.

Most Popular Cognac Brands Information

Brand	Region/ Country	White Grapes Type	Size	Alcohol Content	Average Price
Hennessy	Cognac, France	Ugni Blanc	700 ml	40%	$60 – $2500
Courvoisier	Jarnac, France	Folle Blanche, Ugni Blanc, and Colombard	375 ml – 1750 ml	40%	$18 – $4500
Remy Martin	Cognac, France	Ugni Blanc	750 ml	40%	$$39.99 – $180
Cognac Frapin	Segonzac, France	Ugni Blanc	375 ml – 1000 ml	40% – 41%	$81 – $11,000
Gautier Cognac	AigreFrance	Ugni Blanc	700 ml	40%	$19.99 – $17,274.50
Hine	Jarnac, France	Ugni Blanc	700 ml – 750 ml	50% – 42.7%	$58 – $17,048
Pierre Ferrand	Cognac, France	Ugni Blanc and Colombard	375 ml – 750 ml	40% – 46%	$20 – $2000
Martell	Cognac, France	undisclosed	750 ml	50%	$26.99 – $3399.99
Camus	Cognac, France	Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche,  Colombard	700 ml – 750 ml	28% – 43%	$35 – $400
Davidoff	Jarnac, France	Ugni Blanc, Colombard, and Folle Blanche	700 – 750 ml	40%	$39.28 – $128

Different Brands Price Comparison 

Budget

Usually, budget cognacs are priced under $50. The best cognac brands under this category are  Pierre Ferrand, Dudognon, Vaudon Cognac, Camus, Merlet , and Salignac. 

You can score a Salignac VS Grande Fine Champagne Cognac for roughly $28, obviously less expensive than Merlet VS Cognac, which costs around $40.

Mid-Range

Mid-range cognacs typically cost from $100 – $200. These cognacs are the best-for-your-money cognacs that offer high-quality spirits at an affordable price.

The best mid-range cognac brands are Cognac Frapin, Rémy Martin, and Martell. 

You can get a Hardy XO Rare Fine Champagne Cognac or a Naud Fine XO Cognac at $180. 

Expensive

Being expensive is very subjective. What may seem expensive could be cheap to people with more bucks in their wallets.

However, on average, cognac bottles over $200 and beyond may be considered expensive for 750 ml.

Of course, we are not talking about the Henri IV Dudognon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne, which costs around $2 million.

But some expensive cognac brands like  Courvoisier, Hennessy, and Remy Martin may cost more than $200 per bottle. 

Read: Le Portier Cognac Review

Factors That Affect Pricing 

Age Statement

Age statement affects the prices of cognacs. Generally, younger cognacs tend to cost less expensive than older ones. When cognacs are aged longer, it picks up a stronger taste from the oak barrel it was matured from, giving them a more complex flavor.

The longer the spirit is aged, the more it tends to acquire a mellowed flavor, losing the harshness younger spirits have. 

Base Ingredients

Generally, cognacs tend to be more expensive than other distilled spirits like brandy and whiskeys because of their higher production cost.

The white grapes used in making cognac are only sourced from a specific region (Cognac, France) and its six crus. 

Cognac also goes through double distillation and only uses French oak barrels, which adds more cost to its production.

Marketing & Availability

Cognac has always been associated with luxury, finesse, and class. Due to how most cognac houses market their products, most people think cognacs are spirits best suited for the rich and powerful, the men in suits, and the people with the highest rank.

With these types of marketing strategies, people think buying a $200 cognac bottle is normal.

Its limited supply also makes cognac look like a gem that needs to be treasured because once it’s gone, you’ll never know when you’ll get a chance to get another bottle *wink*.

Popular Cognac Cocktail Recipes 

Holiday Cognac Eggnog

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 6 oz dairy eggnog
• 1 tbsp cognac
• 2 tbsp bourbon or dark rum
• 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ice
• freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions: First, combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake the ice for 30 seconds. Then, strain the mixture into an Old-Fashioned serving glass. Dust it with nutmeg and serve.

Serving: 1

Cognac Sour

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 minute

Ingredients: 

Demerara sugar syrup

• 200g Demerara/Turbinado sugar
• 250ml water

Cognac Sour

• 2 oz cognac
• 1 oz lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• ½ oz sugar syrup
• Rosemary sprig
• lemon wedges

Instructions: To make a Demerara sugar syrup, combine Demerara/Turbinado sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir continuously until sugar dissolves. Let it cool down and bottle.

Next, combine all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker, then add at least 5 to 6 ice cubes. Shake and strain into a short glass. Add another ice cube (1-2) to the glass and garnish with a rosemary sprig and a lemon wedge.

Serving: 1

FAQs Related to Cognac Price

Final Thoughts 

Cognac is a specific type of brandy that’s double-distilled using copper pot stills and matured in French oak (Limousin or Tronçais) barrels for a minimum of two years. It can only be labeled cognac if it’s made in Cognac, France. 

There are nine age categories of cognac, divided into two: the official (VS, VSOP, XO, XXO) and non-official categories (Napoleon, Reserve, Extra, Hors d’Age, and Cuvee).

A bottle of cognac may range from $20 to $300 or more, while limited edition cognac bottles cost up to $2 million.

References:

1. Cognac France
2. Eau de Vie: Fruit’s Essence Captured In a Bottle
3. Find More Contacts for Bureau National Interprofessionnel Du Cognac

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