Take three bottles from one cognac house off the shelf and their labels will read VS, VSOP and XO. The prices climb with the letters. In Cognac those letters are regulated, and each one is a promise about the youngest spirit in the bottle.
The rule behind every age statement
Cognac and Armenian brandy are both blends. A cellar master mixes spirits of different ages, sometimes dozens of them, to keep the taste consistent from year to year. The age on the label refers to the youngest spirit in the blend.
So a bottle with a 10 year minimum may well contain spirits of 20 or 30 years. It cannot contain anything younger than the stated age. Read every figure on a label as a floor.
VS, VSOP, XO: the cognac scale
The rules belong to the Cognac appellation and are overseen by the BNIC, the interprofessional body of Cognac. Each category sets a minimum age for the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend:
- VS (Very Special), also sold as three stars, Sélection or De Luxe: at least 2 years in oak.
- VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale), also Réserve or Vieux: at least 4 years.
- XO (Extra Old), also Hors d'âge or Extra: at least 10 years. Until 2018 the minimum was 6 years. The specification was then changed, and XO now means a decade at least.
- XXO (Extra Extra Old): at least 14 years. This is the newest category.
The rules also allow other words, such as Napoléon or Vieille Réserve. They sit outside the main letters, so the label alone says less about them. If the exact age matters to you, look for a number or ask the producer.
VSOP vs XO: what changes in the glass
The gap is at least six years in the barrel. A VSOP keeps more of the fresh fruit and some heat of the spirit. It is a good base for cocktails or a long drink over ice.
An XO has spent long enough in oak to take on more wood, dried fruit and spice, and its texture becomes rounder. Most people pour it neat, at room temperature, in a tulip glass. The right glass helps you notice the difference.
How Armenian brandy shows its age
Armenian brandy is made under Armenian rules, and Cognac's letters have no legal force there. Every Armenian brandy must spend at least three years in oak. Its labelling grew out of the Soviet tradition, and many bottles still carry Russian abbreviations.
Ordinary brandies are marked with stars or years. Three stars mean spirits aged at least 3 years, four stars at least 4, five stars at least 5.
Vintage brandies, called marochny in Russian, traditionally carry letters. In the post-Soviet standards used in Russia, the minimum ages are:
- КВ (aged): at least 6 years;
- КВВК (aged, highest quality): at least 8 years;
- КС (old): at least 10 years;
- ОС (very old): at least 20 years.
Many Armenian houses now skip the letters and print the age in plain years, sometimes next to words such as "old" or "very old". A number is the clearest thing on any label. Our guide on how to choose Armenian brandy covers the rest of the label and how to check a bottle before you buy.
How to read a TUFF label
TUFF uses XO as a name and states the age as a number. TUFF XO is Armenian brandy aged 20 years in Caucasian oak. TUFF Heritage is aged 30 years. Both are bottled at 40% ABV. If you are choosing between the two, we compare them in TUFF XO or Heritage.
For comparison, a cognac may be called XO at 10 years. On a TUFF bottle, the figure you want is the one in years. Each bottle is closed with a cap cut by hand from Armenian volcanic tuff, and the cap stays on the desk long after the brandy is gone. See the TUFF collection
Questions and answers
What does XO mean on cognac?
XO stands for Extra Old. Under the Cognac rules, the youngest eau-de-vie in an XO blend has spent at least 10 years in oak. Before 2018 the minimum was 6 years. Hors d'âge belongs to the same category.
What is the difference between VSOP and XO?
Age, first of all. A VSOP must be at least 4 years old, an XO at least 10. The XO usually has more oak, dried fruit and spice and a rounder texture, while a VSOP is fresher and mixes well.
Do VSOP and XO mean the same on Armenian brandy?
These letters are defined by the Cognac rules, and they do not set an age for Armenian brandy. On an Armenian label, look for the number of years, the stars or the letters КВ, КВВК, КС and ОС.
Is the age on the label the age of the oldest spirit?
No. It is the age of the youngest spirit in the blend. Older spirits may be part of it, so the stated age is a minimum.
How to choose Armenian brandy · TUFF XO or Heritage · Armenian brandy or cognac
Read next: Armenian XO Brandy: A Buyer’s Guide to TUFF XO · Armenian brandy prices: what a bottle costs and why
