spirit
Cognac
Wine, distilled twice, aged in Limousin oak
French brandy from Ugni Blanc grapes. Double-pot-distilled and aged in oak. Carries grape-derived histamines plus barrel tannins.
- Typical ABV
- 40–46%
- Base
- Ugni Blanc wine
- Distillation
- Pot still, 2x
- Aging
- French oak, minimum 2 years (VS) to 10+ years (XO)
Category hangover index
8/10
Severe
Chemistry profile
- Congeners
- High
- Histamines
- High
- Polyphenols
- Moderate
- Sulfites
- Low
- Tannins
- Moderate
- Sugar
- Moderate
- Additives
- Moderate
Cognac is brandy with a long aging clock and a permissive ingredient list. Grape-derived histamines plus oak congeners plus permitted sugar dosage make it one of the heavier-load spirits.
What changes the chemistry
- ▸Carries histamines from base wine
- ▸Boisé (oak extract), sugar, and caramel addition permitted
- ▸Older grades concentrate everything
- ▸Sweetened with up to 4% sugar via dosage
Common allergens: grapesulfitesoak
See the healthiest cognac ranked
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