Updated March 2026.
Hennessy is made from wine, not grain. Cognac is a distilled wine from the Cognac region of France. BNIC names Ugni Blanc as the main grape. The spirit is aged in oak and bottled at 40% or more. Hennessy V.S prints 40% on hennessy.com (70 cl page title, prior this project). A 1.5-ounce pour at 40% is one NIAAA drink. It is not whiskey and not bourbon. Other SKUs — read those necks.
Related: what is Hennessy, what cognac is made from, Hennessy line.
Grape vs proof
| Language | 1.5 oz drinks |
|---|---|
| Cognac | 1.00 at 40% |
| Main grape | — |
| Hennessy V.S | 1.00 |
| Whiskey | — |
A 750 mL 40% bottle is about 17 drinks. Four V.S pours are four drinks. Pour math: whiskey drinks.
Sources
- BNIC: Ugni Blanc; age grades; Cognac ≥40% vol. hennessy.com V.S 40% page title prior this project.
- 27 CFR 5.145 cognac/brandy. Other Hennessy SKU ABVs unused. NIAAA December 2025.
- Different class — 27 CFR 5.143