Fillioux's family has provided master blenders to house of Hennessy since 1800. In 1873, Emile Fillioux created a special blend, a bit more floral, for the private enjoyment of the Hennessy family. Occasionally, over decades, other private blends were created, inaccessible to the public. With thanks to the resounding reserve library of extraordinarily old and diverse Cognac within the walls of Hennessy, they have recreated the formula of the 1873. It is in limited availability and called Private Reserve.

A sniff leads with dried orange and roasted almond complexities. "There is vanilla which is a powerful aphrodisiac," says spokesperson and master sommelier Steve Olsen, "along with dried roses and other floral mystique." Within this blend is a wee dram of cognac form the 1870's, along with a heavenly host of other precisely selected vintages. The Hennessy Private Reserve is in very limited release and is a true value at $150 the bottle.

More available and affordable is the Hennessy X.O. "This is the benchmark for all cognacs produced," proclaims Olsen while smelling the X.O., "Cognac is about soil, grapes, pot stills two times...though French law merely dictates that an X.O. be six years old, the Hennessy X.O. is, on average, 30 years old. Like I said, this is the benchmark."

Imagine aromas of mocha or maybe coffee, dried fruits like fig and prunes, musty apricot, marzipan/roasted almonds, with lusty, grapy elements. The Hennessy X.O. is almost ubiquitous in any fine shop or restaurant. The bottle retails for $80.

Olsen is a vocal proponent for serving straight Cognac during dinner, with food. With certain levels of Cognac, he even suggests mixing into cocktails. "The truth is that all spirits taste better with food, with fruit and acid as keys, just like wine," explains Olsen, "Tequila, Scotch and Cognac are the highest in acid," therefore working best with food. "Choose foods rich in dairy, egg, pan roast drippings, even blood such as in very rare goose liver, burnt sugar, caramel (plays with the aromatics), and chocolate, which is tough with wine, but works well with Cognac." concludes Olsen.

"The purpose of a Cognac cocktail is not to dilute but to soften the rough edges of the higher alcohol," adds Olsen, "and we are not going to put fine Cognac in a cocktail, such as mixed with club soda." Opt then for a V.S. level Cognac that would be both more sensible and affordable.

Highly recommended, though not for cocktails, at the other distant end of the price spectrum are the Paradis Extra (pronounced para-dee) at $350 and the Richard Hennessy, in a fabulous Baccarat decanter, at $1500. Even if the bottle price is dear, splurge perhaps for a glass. Many upper tier restaurants offer one or both of these remarkable tastes of history by the glass.