Updated May 2026.
There is no official most expensive cognac. BNIC age grades are floors — VS at least 2 years, VSOP 4, XO 10 (since 2018), XXO 14 — not a price class. Cognac is bottled at 40% or more. Typical US bottles print 40%. A 1.5-ounce pour at 40% is one NIAAA drink.
Related: Hennessy line, what is Hennessy, XO cognac.
Grade vs pour
| Language | 1.5 oz drinks |
|---|---|
| Cognac floor | 1.00 at 40% |
| VS / VSOP / XO / XXO | — |
| Typical US bottle | 1.00 |
| Auction hammer | From labeled ABV |
A 750 mL 40% bottle is about 17 drinks. Four pours are four drinks. Pour math: Hennessy drinks.
Sources
- BNIC age grades. 27 CFR 5.145 brandy. Typical US 40%.
- NIAAA December 2025.
- BNIC / 27 CFR 5.145 ≥40%