Hine Homage to Thomas Hine XO (700ml)

The Hine Homage XO Cognac is a blend of more than 20 different eaux-de-vies from Grand Champagne vines and is thus classified as a Fine Cognac. The cognac is twice distilled in direct-fired Charentais pot stills and Hine always distills on the lees for added creaminess and complexity. The spirit is then aged for 8 months in a combination of new Troncais and Limousin oak and must age for a minimum of 2 years in the region before it can be labelled Cognac.

Where the Hine Homage XO Cognac sets itself apart is that the blend also contains 3 Early Landed vintage cognacs from 1984, 1986, and 1987. After being aged a minimum of 2 years in Hine’s cellars in Jarnac, the cognac is then shipped to the UK (an undisclosed location in Scotland) and aged for around 20 years in the case of Hine. This extended ageing in a cooler (8-12C) and more humid environment (95% humidity) allows the spirit to interact with the oak more delicately and the result is the preservation of high-toned fruit and orange peel aromas that can easily be lost to extended oak ageing. The cellarmasters visit the sleeping barrels in Scotland each year to taste them and when they are ready they are shipped back to France. Some of these will be released as vintage Early Landed cognacs while others will be incorporated into blends like the Homage XO which contains no spirit with less than 10 years of ageing. Once the final blend is assembled, the cognac is bottled at 40% ABV and shipped out for us all to enjoy.