Created in 1765, the Hennessy brand was born of the vision of one man, Richard Hennessy. An Irish officer enlisted in Louis XV's army, Hennessy very quickly saw cognac's potential on the international market. He set up his own bottling business and founded a dynasty that would span eight generations. Hennessy soon acquired a reputation for exceptional cognacs and the appellations it created were used by all of the other cognac brands, including Very Old Superior Old Pale (VSOP) and Extra Old (XO). In 250 years Hennessy has remained the world leader in cognac.

Released in 2005, Hennessy Private Reserve is a cognac produced from very old cognacs, some over a hundred years old, from grapes grown in Grande Champagne, the most prestigious cru in the appellation. The work of Gilles Hennessy and Yann Fillioux, it continues a tradition that dates back to 1873, when Emile Fillioux created a blend for Maurice Hennessy. The Fillioux family have worked for the Hennessy family for eight generations and the role of master blender is now occupied by Yann’’s son Renaud Fillioux.