For Hennessy, great cognac belongs at the table as much as it belongs in the glass.
Few names carry as much weight in the world of cognac as Hennessy. Founded in 1765, the maison has spent more than two and a half centuries refining its craft, building a reputation for consistency, patience and an unwavering pursuit of quality. Today, that legacy rests in the hands of Renaud Fillioux de Gironde, the eighth-generation Master Blender in the Fillioux family lineage and chairman of Hennessy’s tasting committee.
The Luxe Review sat down with Fillioux de Gironde at The Savoy, the morning after the British Pâté en Croûte Championship, a growing fixture on London’s gastronomic calendar and an event supported by Hennessy.
The winner will go on to represent the UK at the World Championship in Lyon, on November 30.
For Hennessy, its involvement runs deeper than sponsorship. The championship reflects many of the values that define the cognac house itself: craftsmanship, precision, patience and a relentless commitment to excellence.
Fillioux de Gironde sees gastronomy as a natural extension of Hennessy’s identity.
“Hennessy has been associated with gastronomy a lot in Asia, it’s very culturally relevant,” he says.
His enthusiasm reflects a wider shift in how cognac is being enjoyed. For generations, many viewed cognac primarily as an after-dinner drink. Hennessy is encouraging a broader perspective, one that places cognac throughout the dining experience.
“It’s a way to rediscover what cognac and Hennessy is,” he explains. “Gastronomy is a way to approach, discover, and enjoy cognac.”
Master blender Fillioux de Gironde sees gastronomy as a natural extension of Hennessy’s identity…
Beyond the Digestif
The Hennessy philosophy is increasingly evident at high-end restaurants around the world, where chefs and sommeliers are finding new opportunities to pair mature cognacs with food. Sometimes the pairing seeks harmony. Sometimes it provides contrast.
“It can be both,” says Fillioux de Gironde. “Or it can be the moment when everything comes together.”
His own approach is built around finding connections between a dish and a cognac’s flavour profile. Hennessy XO, for example, carries the rich oak, chocolate and peppermint notes that have made it one of the house’s most recognisable expressions.
“One thing I like to do is create a link between your drink and the meal,” we’re told. “With Hennessy XO, you have strong oaky, chocolatey, peppermint notes. I like to use black pepper to create a link. It can be complimentary to a nice grilled steak – add black pepper and serve with a glass of XO, and it can be pretty amazing.”
From Pâté en Croûte to Paradis
The parallels between a master blender and a chef quickly become apparent in our conversation. Both professions are rooted in creativity, and dependant on rigorous preparation long before the final product reaches the customer.
“The first similarity is the amount of work you need to do before presenting your product,” he says. “The work of selection.”
The comparison is particularly appropriate in the context of pâté en croûte. What appears effortless on the plate is often the result of years of repetition and refinement.
“When you talk about sourcing, they don’t find their ingredients by luck,” he explains. “Sometimes they spend a year building their supply. The selection is key. For us, it’s the same thing. It takes ten years of daily practice to be an official Hennessy taster. Ten years, every morning at 11:00.”
That commitment extends beyond flavour creation. Consistency remains one of the house’s greatest challenges.
“When you’re known for your signature dish, it cannot change,” he says. “If it’s Hennessy VSOP, it has to have the consistency of Hennessy VSOP each time you open a bottle.”
The discipline required to achieve that consistency across decades is one of the defining characteristics of great cognac houses. Yet while craftsmanship may begin in the cellar, its ultimate purpose remains simple.
“We want people to enjoy what they drink.”
For Fillioux de Gironde, appreciation begins with exploration. Different expressions speak to different moods, occasions and preferences.
“If you go from Paradis to Richard Hennessy, you go from something which is more about maturity and complexity to something that is about harmony, and delicate flavour.”
There is no single correct choice, he says.
“It’s about which style works for you. And at what time. If you are with friends partying, you might go for one thing. The following day, you are celebrating Christmas with your family, and you will want another expression. It’s never just one choice. It depends on the moment and the occasion.”
The emotional side of luxury remains central to his thinking.
“At the end of the day, emotions are key. If drinking cognac reminds you of your grandfather, a big sniff of your glass of cognac, if that’s your ceremony, go for it.
“If you go for Hennessy Paradis or Richard Hennessy, I would suggest you take your time. You’re going to enjoy something that has been prepared for decades, centuries. If you want to enjoy the depth of a product, make sure you’re in a nice environment.”
Then he adds a phrase that captures the essence of the house’s philosophy: “For me, cognac is about sharing the experience. For me, it’s part of the philosophy of Hennessy.”
How Hennessy crafts cognac
Fillioux de Gironde is careful with the language he uses when talking about age.
“The beauty of cognac is that you can have some ingredients that are really, really mature. I’m not saying old on purpose.”
The distinction matters, he says. Great cognac doesn’t simply emerge through the passage of time. It’s actively guided through years of decisions, evaluation and intervention.
“When you put the liquid in a barrel, it’s not going to spend 50 years in the same barrel. Every year we’re going to taste it. Every year we’re going to make a decision.” Those decisions may involve changing barrels, reducing oak influence, steering an eaux-de-vie towards its fullest potential.
“It’s about making a decision to get the best of the potential. That is ageing, and that is getting the right maturity.”
The lesson was passed down through generations of the Fillioux family and remains fundamental to Hennessy’s philosophy today.
“At the heart of my job, and what I’ve learned from my uncle and from the generation before me is, we’re on a quest to push the boundaries of quality. This is how you get exceptional levels of cognac after 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 years.
“It’s like a pyramid. You get a lot at the beginning, but you keep the ones with amazing potential. If you do that, you end up at the top of the pyramid.”
Those treasures form the foundation not only of Hennessy’s core range but also of its most coveted collector releases.
Maintaining consistency across the house’s established expressions remains the primary task. Special editions offer a different opportunity.
“It’s a way to pay tribute to the treasures that we have,” he says. The two approaches serve different purposes.
“We have our core range, and we have facets that we can express differently. It’s complementarity. It’s not a competition between one or the other.”
From Richard Hennessy to the Zodiac Collection
That approach finds perhaps its most ambitious expression in Hennessy’s Zodiac Collection, a 12-part ultra-rare series honouring each sign of the Chinese zodiac through unique blends drawn from some of the Maison’s finest reserves.
The inaugural Year of the Horse release arrived in 2026 in a hand-engraved Baccarat crystal decanter designed with London-based Chinese artist Trajan Jia. Just 50 examples were created worldwide.
The collection will continue over the course of twelve years. The next chapter is the Year of the Goat Edition for 2027, with future releases already planned.
“Each time it’s a new creation,” says Fillioux de Gironde. “The idea is to create a cognac using some of the best treasures from the Hennessy stock.”
Like every masterpiece, knowing when to stop is part of the art.
“It’s good fun to create,” he says with a smile. “It’s difficult because you have to choose, and then you have to decide when to stop. At one point, you just say, ‘OK, here we are’.”
It’s a sentiment that could equally apply to a chef perfecting a signature dish, a pâté en croûte champion refining a recipe, or a master blender shaping a future icon.
At Hennessy, gastronomy and cognac are not separate worlds. They’re connected by the same principles: selection, precision, creativity and time.
“We’re all on a quest to push the boundaries of quality,” says Fillioux de Gironde.
Prawn lovers, we have found your festive dining plans in the capital. ISSO Prawn Crazy, the new Sri Lankan restaurant in Canary Wharf, is serving three Christmas menus packed with seafood, curries and traditional island flavours. Book a festive meal and you could also win a holiday to Sri Lanka for two in 2027. Available…
Laphroaig has released Strong Characters Chapter Two, a limited-edition 35 Year Old single malt celebrating Dugald Johnston, the son of co-founder Donald Johnston. The release follows the inaugural 33 Year Old bottling, which honoured Donald, and continues a series recognising those who have shaped the Islay distillery’s history. Dugald inherited Laphroaig during a difficult period…
London’s Shogun Sakes is putting English sake on the drinks map with a Peckham-brewed Junmai that could make an intriguing Christmas gift for spirits enthusiasts. Traditionally associated with Japan, the rice-based drink is now finding a foothold in the UK, with independent producer Shogun Sakes brewing its Pure English Sake in small batches in Peckham.…
For Hennessy, great cognac belongs at the table as much as it belongs in the glass.
Few names carry as much weight in the world of cognac as Hennessy. Founded in 1765, the maison has spent more than two and a half centuries refining its craft, building a reputation for consistency, patience and an unwavering pursuit of quality. Today, that legacy rests in the hands of Renaud Fillioux de Gironde, the eighth-generation Master Blender in the Fillioux family lineage and chairman of Hennessy’s tasting committee.
The Luxe Review sat down with Fillioux de Gironde at The Savoy, the morning after the British Pâté en Croûte Championship, a growing fixture on London’s gastronomic calendar and an event supported by Hennessy.
The winner will go on to represent the UK at the World Championship in Lyon, on November 30.
For Hennessy, its involvement runs deeper than sponsorship. The championship reflects many of the values that define the cognac house itself: craftsmanship, precision, patience and a relentless commitment to excellence.
Fillioux de Gironde sees gastronomy as a natural extension of Hennessy’s identity.
“Hennessy has been associated with gastronomy a lot in Asia, it’s very culturally relevant,” he says.
His enthusiasm reflects a wider shift in how cognac is being enjoyed. For generations, many viewed cognac primarily as an after-dinner drink. Hennessy is encouraging a broader perspective, one that places cognac throughout the dining experience.
“It’s a way to rediscover what cognac and Hennessy is,” he explains. “Gastronomy is a way to approach, discover, and enjoy cognac.”
Beyond the Digestif
The Hennessy philosophy is increasingly evident at high-end restaurants around the world, where chefs and sommeliers are finding new opportunities to pair mature cognacs with food. Sometimes the pairing seeks harmony. Sometimes it provides contrast.
“It can be both,” says Fillioux de Gironde. “Or it can be the moment when everything comes together.”
His own approach is built around finding connections between a dish and a cognac’s flavour profile. Hennessy XO, for example, carries the rich oak, chocolate and peppermint notes that have made it one of the house’s most recognisable expressions.
“One thing I like to do is create a link between your drink and the meal,” we’re told. “With Hennessy XO, you have strong oaky, chocolatey, peppermint notes. I like to use black pepper to create a link. It can be complimentary to a nice grilled steak – add black pepper and serve with a glass of XO, and it can be pretty amazing.”
From Pâté en Croûte to Paradis
The parallels between a master blender and a chef quickly become apparent in our conversation. Both professions are rooted in creativity, and dependant on rigorous preparation long before the final product reaches the customer.
“The first similarity is the amount of work you need to do before presenting your product,” he says. “The work of selection.”
The comparison is particularly appropriate in the context of pâté en croûte. What appears effortless on the plate is often the result of years of repetition and refinement.
“When you talk about sourcing, they don’t find their ingredients by luck,” he explains. “Sometimes they spend a year building their supply. The selection is key. For us, it’s the same thing. It takes ten years of daily practice to be an official Hennessy taster. Ten years, every morning at 11:00.”
That commitment extends beyond flavour creation. Consistency remains one of the house’s greatest challenges.
“When you’re known for your signature dish, it cannot change,” he says. “If it’s Hennessy VSOP, it has to have the consistency of Hennessy VSOP each time you open a bottle.”
The discipline required to achieve that consistency across decades is one of the defining characteristics of great cognac houses. Yet while craftsmanship may begin in the cellar, its ultimate purpose remains simple.
“We want people to enjoy what they drink.”
For Fillioux de Gironde, appreciation begins with exploration. Different expressions speak to different moods, occasions and preferences.
“If you go from Paradis to Richard Hennessy, you go from something which is more about maturity and complexity to something that is about harmony, and delicate flavour.”
There is no single correct choice, he says.
“It’s about which style works for you. And at what time. If you are with friends partying, you might go for one thing. The following day, you are celebrating Christmas with your family, and you will want another expression. It’s never just one choice. It depends on the moment and the occasion.”
The emotional side of luxury remains central to his thinking.
“At the end of the day, emotions are key. If drinking cognac reminds you of your grandfather, a big sniff of your glass of cognac, if that’s your ceremony, go for it.
“If you go for Hennessy Paradis or Richard Hennessy, I would suggest you take your time. You’re going to enjoy something that has been prepared for decades, centuries. If you want to enjoy the depth of a product, make sure you’re in a nice environment.”
Then he adds a phrase that captures the essence of the house’s philosophy: “For me, cognac is about sharing the experience. For me, it’s part of the philosophy of Hennessy.”
How Hennessy crafts cognac
Fillioux de Gironde is careful with the language he uses when talking about age.
“The beauty of cognac is that you can have some ingredients that are really, really mature. I’m not saying old on purpose.”
The distinction matters, he says. Great cognac doesn’t simply emerge through the passage of time. It’s actively guided through years of decisions, evaluation and intervention.
“When you put the liquid in a barrel, it’s not going to spend 50 years in the same barrel. Every year we’re going to taste it. Every year we’re going to make a decision.” Those decisions may involve changing barrels, reducing oak influence, steering an eaux-de-vie towards its fullest potential.
“It’s about making a decision to get the best of the potential. That is ageing, and that is getting the right maturity.”
The lesson was passed down through generations of the Fillioux family and remains fundamental to Hennessy’s philosophy today.
“At the heart of my job, and what I’ve learned from my uncle and from the generation before me is, we’re on a quest to push the boundaries of quality. This is how you get exceptional levels of cognac after 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 years.
“It’s like a pyramid. You get a lot at the beginning, but you keep the ones with amazing potential. If you do that, you end up at the top of the pyramid.”
Those treasures form the foundation not only of Hennessy’s core range but also of its most coveted collector releases.
Maintaining consistency across the house’s established expressions remains the primary task. Special editions offer a different opportunity.
“It’s a way to pay tribute to the treasures that we have,” he says. The two approaches serve different purposes.
“We have our core range, and we have facets that we can express differently. It’s complementarity. It’s not a competition between one or the other.”
From Richard Hennessy to the Zodiac Collection
That approach finds perhaps its most ambitious expression in Hennessy’s Zodiac Collection, a 12-part ultra-rare series honouring each sign of the Chinese zodiac through unique blends drawn from some of the Maison’s finest reserves.
The inaugural Year of the Horse release arrived in 2026 in a hand-engraved Baccarat crystal decanter designed with London-based Chinese artist Trajan Jia. Just 50 examples were created worldwide.
The collection will continue over the course of twelve years. The next chapter is the Year of the Goat Edition for 2027, with future releases already planned.
“Each time it’s a new creation,” says Fillioux de Gironde. “The idea is to create a cognac using some of the best treasures from the Hennessy stock.”
Like every masterpiece, knowing when to stop is part of the art.
“It’s good fun to create,” he says with a smile. “It’s difficult because you have to choose, and then you have to decide when to stop. At one point, you just say, ‘OK, here we are’.”
It’s a sentiment that could equally apply to a chef perfecting a signature dish, a pâté en croûte champion refining a recipe, or a master blender shaping a future icon.
At Hennessy, gastronomy and cognac are not separate worlds. They’re connected by the same principles: selection, precision, creativity and time.
“We’re all on a quest to push the boundaries of quality,” says Fillioux de Gironde.
Explore the Hennessy cognac range at The Whisky Exchange here.
Prawn lovers, ISSO Prawn Crazy’s festive menus come with the chance to win a Sri Lankan holiday
Prawn lovers, we have found your festive dining plans in the capital. ISSO Prawn Crazy, the new Sri Lankan restaurant in Canary Wharf, is serving three Christmas menus packed with seafood, curries and traditional island flavours. Book a festive meal and you could also win a holiday to Sri Lanka for two in 2027. Available…
Laphroaig Strong Characters Chapter Two is a 35 Year Old single malt tribute to its historic distillery owner
Laphroaig has released Strong Characters Chapter Two, a limited-edition 35 Year Old single malt celebrating Dugald Johnston, the son of co-founder Donald Johnston. The release follows the inaugural 33 Year Old bottling, which honoured Donald, and continues a series recognising those who have shaped the Islay distillery’s history. Dugald inherited Laphroaig during a difficult period…
This Peckham-brewed Pure English Sake is a different kind of festive pour
London’s Shogun Sakes is putting English sake on the drinks map with a Peckham-brewed Junmai that could make an intriguing Christmas gift for spirits enthusiasts. Traditionally associated with Japan, the rice-based drink is now finding a foothold in the UK, with independent producer Shogun Sakes brewing its Pure English Sake in small batches in Peckham.…
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