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Tag: XO definition

The XO Definition Has Finally Been Changed

Posted / in Brandy Education, News and tagged , ,

XO Cognac DefinitionWith effect from 1 April 2018 any cognac classified as an XO must have been aged for a minimum of 10 years.  This change of XO Definition means that in the case of a blend, which many are, the youngest cognac used must now be at least a decade old.  This is a 4 year increase as previously only 6 years of ageing was sufficient for a cognac to qualify.  Regulatory body, the BNIC, comments that the change is designed to extend the quality positioning of XO cognacs and align them with market reality (some XOs are aged for 10 years or more anyway).  First announced in 2011, the industry has been given plenty of warning to mature their stocks however, an interim measure has also been put in place.   XO cognacs aged for 6, 7, 8, and 9 years and packaged by 31 March 2018 may be labelled and sold as XO until 31 March 2019.  Thereafter, all XOs must be at least 10 years old and no doubt the price will increase accordingly.

Definition of XO to Change

Posted / in News and tagged

The proposed rule for changing the minimum age of XO cognacs, set to come into operation in 2016, from the current age of 6 ½ years to 10 years has now been postponed until 2018. This change to a more realistic minimum age was first discussed nearly twenty years ago and various dates have been set for the change since. A shortage of 10 year old stock has been cited as the reason for the delay. Even though demand has slowed recently for the more expensive cognacs in China, it has increased in other markets, especially America. When and if the definition of XO changes in 2018, it will undoubtedly have an effect on the prices of XO cognacs which are likely to increase substantially.  So, take a look at our range of hand-picked XOs, they might not be around for long.