Last Updated on March 13, 2023 by Lydia Martin
Since 1765, Hennessy has been known to produce top-quality cognacs. Being one of the largest producers of excellent cognacs, Hennesy produces expensive decanters that are rare and collectible.
Our team made a comprehensive list of the most expensive bottles of Hennessy worldwide.
Table of Contents
13 Most Expensive Bottles of Hennessy Worldwide
1. Hennessy Beauté du Siècle Cognac
What Makes It Unique:
Hennessy Beauté du Siécle Cognac is an expensive Hennessy Cognac with only 100 bottles produced. A bottle of 1000 mL contains cognac aged for 80-150 years in oak barrels and has 40% alcohol by volume.
The bronze and aluminum bottle of Hennessy Beauté du Siécle was custom created by the contemporary French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel. It was for Kilian Hennessy, who managed the brand from the 1940s to the 1970s.
Average Price:
Hennessy Beauté du Siècle Cognac is one of the rarest Eaux-de-vies of Hennessy, thanks to the premium and natural grapes from Grande Champagne Region. Since there are only 100 bottles produced, a bottle has a staggering price tag of around $245,000.
2. Croizet Cognac Leonie 1858
What Makes It Unique:
Croizet Cognac Leonie 1858 is a popular cognac because of its price and top quality. The cognac has fruity and woody notes followed by extracts of dried poppies and roses. A 700 ml bottle contains 40% ABV, like the Louis XIII Cognac comprising 1200 different Eaux-de-vie acquired from the Grand Champagne.
The Croizet Cognac Leonie is famous for its flavor and pre-phylloxera blend. Guinness World of Record also recognizes it as the most expensive cognac bottle sold in an auction [1].
Average Price:
A 700 mL bottle of Croizet Cognac Leonie 1858 is fetching nearly $157,000.
3. Cognac Brugerolle 1795
What Makes It Unique:
Cognac Brugerolle 1975 is one of the vintage spirits in the entire world. In addition, the cognac is a companion of Napoleon Bonaparte whenever he wins a battle. Napoleon Bonaparte was a French army leader who revolutionized military training and organization [2].
Average Price:
The aged cognac comes in a limited edition, and the considered last in the collection costs more than $150,000. Find out how much Henny will get you drunk here.
4. 1762 Gautier Cognac
What Makes It Unique:
The 1762 Gautier Cognac bottle is one of the most popular, oldest, and authentically vintage cognacs. 1762 Gautier is also one of the rarest bottles of vintage spirit featured with a handwritten label coated with cellar grim, driven cork, and wax seal. But, how do you spot fake Hennessy?
The brand started producing brandy in the early 1700s, and King Louis XV permitted them to produce cognac. They produced cognac in Little Venice in Charente, France and their cognac dynasty continued.
Average Price:
The bottle of 1762 Gautier Cognac was recently sold in the Bonhams Auction of rare spirits in New York for about $59,500.
5. Camus Cuvee
What Makes It Unique:
French Law is very strict when it comes to cognac production. It was specified that the raw materials to make Eaux-de-vie must come from the Cognac region only [3]. Camus Cuvee is a master blend from grapes of Grande Champagne, Bons Bois, Borderies, Petite Champagne, and Fins Bois.
It has a seductive taste of mellow vanilla and extracts of crystallized fruit with woody and spicy notes. In addition, it is bottled in a royal Baccarat crystal vessel for a peculiar royal look.
Average Price:
Camus Cuvee is the 5th edition from Camus Master’s Collection with only 1492 bottles globally and can be sold for roughly $13,500.
6. Hennessy Ellipse
What Makes It Unique:
Hennessy Ellipse was first introduced to the market in 2006, and the cognac’s production is limited to 2,000 bottles only, making it in demand. It is believed that the bottle of Hennessy Cognac contains distilled wine from the 1700s, making it a vibrant drink encompassing the legendary Cellar Masters of Eaux-de-vie domain.
Hennessy Ellipse is matured in decades for a sophisticated and solid flavor. It has an earthy taste with notes of citrus fruit and wild roses.
Average Price:
Hennessy Ellipse is stored in a Baccarat crystal carafe. And because it is not easy to find, it is priced online at approximately $16,000.
7. Hennessy Édition Particulière
What Makes It Unique:
Hennessy Édition Particulière is an expensive Hennessy and a rare French cognac. The 750 mL bottle contains cognac matured for over a century in French oak barrels. Master Blender Alfred Fillioux blended the Hennessy cognac, and his grandson is now the current Master Blender of Hennessy.
Particulière is a limited edition expensive Hennessy cognac with only 29 bottles released since 2014. It is a well-known expensive cognac produced by the Hennessy family.
Average Price:
Since a bottle of Hennessy Édition Particulière is limited, it is expected to cost you more than $37,000 to buy a bottle.
Read: How Much is a 5th of Hennessy?
8. Hennessy H8
What Makes It Unique:
A bottle of Hennessy H8 has Eaux-de-vie blends of 30-50 years at minimum to a century with 40% ABV. It has a refined taste with a complex display, velvety texture, and berries, spice, toasted oak, and toffee notes.
H8 is stored in designer bottles by artist Arik Levy. The eight rings crystal with engraved flower patterns of crystal decanter is crafted in Baccarat. It was designed to commemorate 250 years of Hennessy torch-passing of the cellar master from the families of Fillioux and Irish Aristocrat Richard Hennessy.
Average Price:
Currently, a 700 mL of Hennessy H8 can be bought for nearly $97,000, making it one of the expensive cognacs from the Hennessy brand.
9. Hennessy Timeless
What Makes It Unique:
Hennessy Timeless is a golden amber cognac that shines inside an expensive Baccarat crystal bottle. It contains a blended brandy aged in barrels for more than a century to reduce the tannin content of the spirit.
Hennessy Timeless is a fruit brandy with overwhelming sensations of spice and cinnamon. It comprises 11 cognacs that created other appealing flavors such as fruit, pepper, oak, and antique leather.
Average Price:
Only 2,000 bottles of Timeless started to roll out in the 1990s. This expensive Hennessy bottle costs around $16,500 in online stores.
10. Hennessy V.S. Limited Edition Deluxe Offer
What Makes It Unique:
One of the new bottles that Hennessy makes is the Hennessy V.S. Limited Edition Deluxe Offer. It combines vintage heritage and contemporary art by Alexandre Farto, a Portuguese Artist known as Vhils. What makes it more unique is that the limited edition Hennessy V.S is bottled in 100 unique bottles with a theme “Making the Invisible Visible.”
The limited-edition V.S was produced last 2018. A bottle contains two to eight years of elegant and rich cognacs in 100 different bottles only.
Average Price:
The expensive Hennessy V.S. Limited Edition Deluxe Offer can be sold at roughly $15,000.
11. Paradis Imperial Cognac
What Makes It Unique:
Paradis Imperial Cognac is an Hors d’ Age cognac, a French term used to describe old spirits since at least the 1870s or has a minimum of 30 years [4]. The Paradis Imperial was made for the Russian Imperial Court in 1818. The grapes from Grande Champagne were aged for over a century.
Out of all the 10,000 bottles produced for the Paradis Imperial Cognac, only ten are recognized as high quality to earn the brand’s name.
Average Price:
A 750 mL bottle of Paradis Imperial Cognac can cost you around $6,000.
12. Hennessy Richard
What Makes It Unique:
Hennessy Richard, named after the founder of Hennessy, Richard Hennessy, is a precious and rare Cognac with an unparalleled range of aromas. Henessy has a rich history in producing quality cognacs, and the Hennessy Richard has a unique complexity making the spirit unexpectedly powerful.
Average Price:
A bottle of Hennessy Richard is made from grapes of Grande Champagne, and it costs approximately $4,000.
13. Hennessy Paradis
What Makes It Unique:
Created by Master Blender Maurice Fillioux in 1979, Hennessy Paradis is famous for its harmonious and bold aroma. It has a coppery gold color from the old casks used to age the excellent cognac. In addition, the delightful cognac is round, supple and light.
Average Price:
Paradis from Grande Champagne costs around $1,200 per 750 mL.
Factors That Make Hennessy Cognac Expensive
Bottle/Carafe
One of the main factors to consider when it comes to the sky-high price of Hennessy is its bottle or carafe. Spirits are crafted over the years with premium ingredients, so they should be housed in a true symbol of luxuriousness like a Baccarat crystal decanter.
The spirit is bottled in sterling platinum, glass, and crystal bottles, and all of them were uniquely designed by famous artists. A bottle has real diamonds and is designed by a renowned and famous jewel artist, which may cost million dollars.
Size
Expensive spirits come in different sizes, and you can find everything from small flasks to big bottles. Some people may think that larger bottles are expensive. However, smaller sizes can sometimes be more expensive because the cognac formula inside is a very rare mixture.
Other spirits come in 300 mL, but the normal size comes in 750 mL to 1,000 mL.
Scents & Notes
Expensive Eau-de-vies may vary from scents and notes. In some cases, some cognacs have jasmine or creamy honey notes like a crystallized lemon. On the other hand, others have seductive and darker notes like dried rose petals and cinnamon.
Moreso, since cognacs are matured in barrels, the scents have a more well-rounded flavor profile compared to other cognacs.
Age
One factor that is surely noticeable when it comes to pricey cognac is the age or maturity of the spirit. The older it gets, the more expensive it becomes. To verify the bottle’s age, you can check its label.
The Oldest Hennessy ranges from 50 to 80 years old. Some variants were even present during the château de Versailles, World War II. Some are also dedicated to Kings like King Henry IV.
Distillation Process
One of the main reasons a bottle of Hennesy is way more expensive than other spirits is its distillation process. Cognac’s base ingredient is grapes, and to transform it into wine, it must be distilled in a copper pot which is an expensive process. But, is Hennessy whiskey?
Ingredients
Hennessy is expensive because the ingredients used to make cognacs are premium and top quality. In order to be cognac, the white grapes used must also come from the Cognac region. It is where the climate, topography, and soil contribute to the growth condition of the grapes.
Number of Bottes Released
The prices of Hennesy vary on how many bottles are released. Limited edition cognacs are the most sought-after because they have a limited supply. Most decanters are combinations of different aged spirits, making them more expensive.
In addition, if there are limited bottles released, there is a high chance of increased value.
Region
One of the requirements of French Law when it comes to producing cognac is that the grapes to be used must be grown in the Cognac region. While there is no drastic change, the taste will be noticeable once you use grapes from specific regions.
In Cognac, France, there are six regions where the grapes must be grown, and the rarer it is, the more expensive it is.
FAQs
What is the rarest Hennessy?
Hennessy Beauté du Siécle Cognac is the rarest Hennessy, with only 100 bottles released. A bottle is matured for 80-150 years before being sold, making it one of the rarest and coveted Hennessy.
Which is more expensive, Hennessy or Remy Martin?
Hennessy is more expensive than Remy Martin when it comes to high-quality cognac. While both produce VS cognacs in almost the same price range, Hennessy can be a little expensive when it comes to old-age cognacs.
Key Takeaways
There can be a lot of factors when it comes to the pricing of the most expensive variants/bottles of Hennessy to ensure that they produce top-quality cognacs. Aside from being a popular cognac brand, it also has a particular and unique taste.
When it comes to producing expensive cognac, the brand has a great reputation for delivering the finest spirit. It’s no wonder that many connoisseurs collect their rare decanters and cognacs.
References:
- www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-cognac
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Napoleon-I
- https://www.eater.com/drinks/2015/11/17/9747068/what-is-cognac
- https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199311132.001.0001/acref-9780199311132-e-578
Lydia Martin
Lydia Martin hails from Redmond, Washington, where you’ll find some of the best co*cktail bars and distilleries that offer a great mix of local drinks. She used to work as a bar manager in Paris and is a self-taught mixologist whose passion for crafting unique co*cktails led her to create Liquor Laboratory. Lydia can whip up a mean Margarita in seconds! Contact at [emailprotected] or learn more about us here.
