Created in 1765, the Hennessy brand was born of the vision of one man, Richard Hennessy. An Irish officer enlisted in Louis XV's army, Hennessy very quickly saw cognac's potential on the international market. He set up his own bottling business and founded a dynasty that would span eight generations. Hennessy soon acquired a reputation for exceptional cognacs and the appellations it created were used by all of the other cognac brands, including Very Old Superior Old Pale (VSOP) and Extra Old (XO). In 250 years Hennessy has remained the world leader in cognac.

Hennessy Paradis Impérial is a cognac created from 19th and 20th century spirits produced and blended by the master blenders of the Fillioux family. The Paradis is the part of the cellar where the oldest cognacs are stored, often in demijohns. The word Impérial refers to a blend created in 1818 for Tsar Alexander I of Russia. This cognac is presented in a crystal decanter designed by Stephanie Balini.