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.

Hennessy V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale) is a blend of cognacs aged for at least four years, primarily in old oak casks from the Limousin forest. The term V.S.O.P. was invented by Hennessy in response to an order from the future King of England George IV in 1817. It has since been adopted by all producers in Cognac.