XO ROYAL
A Cognac fit for royalty
Since its founding in 1828, Maison Courvoisier has been known to have a deep connection to French royalty and leadership, including Napoléon Bonaparte and Napoléon III.
Today, Maison Courvoisier still features Napoléon’s Coat of Arms on its logo and bottles. The Coat of Arms was awarded to the Cognac house in 1869 by Napoléon III, Bonaparte’s nephew, who recognised the Maison as the official supplier to the house of the emperor.
Throughout the 1900s, Courvoisier supplied its Cognacs to the royal courts of England, Denmark and Sweden. The Cognac was so popular that King Edward VII of England commissioned his own eponymous blend, made by Courvoisier’s first generation Master Blender Henri Prodeaux.
A few precious bottles of the King Edward VII Reserve can still be found in Courvoisier’s Paradis Cellar in Jarnac; and it is this historical blend that serves as the starting point for XO Royal.
A regal heritage
For XO Royal, Courvoisier Master Blender Patrice Pinet sought to create a marriage of Fins Bois de Jarnac and Grand Champagne to create a rich, full-bodied Cognac.
The Grand Champagne eaux-de-vie is matured for up to 30 years in the house’s signature Limousin and Tronçais casks to develop complexity and depth.
Every element of XO Royal, from concept to packaging, celebrates Maison Courvoisier’s regal heritage. The XO Royal bottle features the same teardrop silhouette of Courvoisier’s Prestige Range Cognacs. The teardrop shape is meant to symbolise a drop of perfume rippling across a pool. It was first introduced by fourth-generation Master Blender Daniel Dumon for the launch of the original Courvoisier XO in 1984.
A gold collar wraps the bottle neck and features Napoleon’s silhouette against a repeated bee pattern, which is a historic symbol of French sovereignty. Napoléon’s Coat of Arms, a reflection of Courvoisier’s long-standing connection to royalty, is printed in metallic ink. The bottle is completed with a glass stopper that has 30 facets, representing the maximum age of the Grand Champagne eaux-de-vie in the blend. XO Royal is housed in a striking red and gold box with a reflective gold interior. The front once again features Napoléon’s Coat of Arms embossed in real gold foil, framed by the same bee pattern as the bottle neck. Both bottle and carton underscore the craftsmanship of Courvoisier.
Tasting notes
On the nose: The deep amber liquid offers decadent truffle aromas, followed by summer flowers, closing with notes of toasted hazelnut, golden honey and warming cinnamon. On the palate: XO Royal is rich and full-bodied, offering deep, smooth and complex flavours with a long and powerful finish.
Spotlight Series - January 2023