- Jay Z Cognac Guide: D’Ussé Might Only Make Up a Fraction of the Mogul’s Empire, but It’s a Delicious One - November 21, 2022
- MF Doom Bio - April 23, 2022
Jay-Z is one of the hip hop artists I admire the most, and not just because he provided the soundtrack to some of my most formative years. I admire how he has built an empire for himself from the ground up and used his talent and business expertise to become hip hop’s first billionaire.
Jay-Z isn’t the first celebrity (or even rapper) to get involved in the booze business. A music venue I used to work at had both Brangelina’s wine and Diddy’s vodka on the menu. Liquor, especially Cognac, is seen as a luxury item, so it only makes sense that the rich and famous would want a hand in the business.
I created this Jay-Z Cognac guide to provide some insight into D’Ussé, both as a spirit and a faction of Jay-Z’s business empire.
Bottom Line Up Front
Jay-Z’s Cognac is called D’Ussé. The rapper partnered with a master Cognac blender to create it, and as of late 2022, he owns half of the company alongside Bacardi Limited, though Jay is in talks with Bacardi about selling his stake.
There are two expressions of D’Ussé, a four-and-a-half-year-aged VSOP and a ten-year-aged XO. Both are smooth and complex enough to be sipped neat but bold enough to be mixed into cocktails.
The Business-Savvy Shawn Carter
In 2019, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter became the first proven billionaire in hip hop. However, the rapper didn’t become a billionaire simply by selling albums — though he has an impressive track record and his Grammys speak for themselves. His success is primarily due to the fact that he’s a very savvy businessman.
He created his first record label, Roc-A-Fella Records, as a way to distribute his music early on. One thing led to another, and after investing in clothing brands, real estate, and music streaming services, it was only a matter of time before Jay set his sights on the liquor industry!
First Things First: What Is Cognac?
To put it simply, Cognac is a type of brandy made in Cognac, France. That means that all Cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is Cognac.
Cognac starts with grapes grown in the Cognac region, predominantly ugni blanc grapes, though a variety can be used. The grapes are fermented into white wine, though it’s not a wine you’d necessarily want to drink. The wine is then distilled two times through copper pot stills.
The product that comes out of the still is a spirit, but we still don’t have Cognac yet!
The spirit is called “eau de vie,” which means “water of life,” and it’s clear and colorless. This eau de vie is then aged in French oak barrels for a minimum of two years, where it takes on its golden brown color and some flavors from the oak. Finally, a master blender will select and combine different aged eau de vies to create Cognac.
Not all Cognacs are blends. There are select single-barrel Cognacs available, but they are extremely rare. However, the vast majority of Cognacs are blended, with some of the finest made up of over a hundred different eau de vies. This is one of the reasons why Cognac has such a layered, nuanced, and complex flavor. It also accounts for its higher cost, which is one of the reasons why Cognac is often seen as a symbol of luxury!
The Cognac-making process may seem time-consuming, and it is, but even following those steps won’t necessarily result in a spirit you can call “Cognac.” There are a lot of regulations on how, where, and even when Cognac can be made. This means that there’s a very limited supply of Cognac in the world compared to other spirits, which again leads to its higher cost and desirability among collectors!
Age Classifications of Cognac
Cognac is broken down into categories based on its age. Since most Cognacs are blends, the age classification refers to the youngest eau de vie used in a particular blend.
- VS – “Very Special.” The youngest eau de vie in the blend must be aged at least two years. These make up the youngest Cognacs since all Cognac must be aged for a minimum of two years.
- VSOP – “Very Superior Old Pale.” The youngest eau de vie in the blend must be aged at least four years.
- Napoléon – This is a new classification as of 2018. It means that the youngest eau de vie in the blend was aged for at least six years.
- XO – “Extra old.” The youngest eau de vie in the blend must be aged at least ten years. Prior to 2018, anything aged longer than six years was classified as XO, though most were aged longer than ten anyway.
- XXO – “Extra Extra Old.” These Cognacs are made from a blend of eau de vies that have been aged for a minimum of 14 years.
Jay-Z’s Cognac, D’Ussé, currently offers a VSOP and an XO blend.
The Story Behind D’Ussé: Jay-Z’s Cognac
So what about the Cognac that Jay-Z famously drank out of one of his Grammy awards in 2014?
The brand D’Ussé (pronounced dew-SAY) dates back to 2012, but its history can be traced back centuries before that. Jay-Z partnered with Michel Casavecchia, a cellar master with decades of experience, to create D’Ussé. They wanted to create a Cognac that was still delicious and complex when sipped neat but was exceptionally well suited for mixing into cocktails. D’Ussé is smooth and easy to drink, complex enough to be exciting but not so complex it will overwhelm a non-Cognac drinker, and has enough spice and flavor to stand up against mixers without getting lost.
Bacardi Limited, the massive company behind not just Bacardi Rum but other spirits such as Grey Goose Vodka, Bombay Sapphire Gin, and Patrón Tequila, partnered with Jay-Z and currently owns a portion of D’Ussé. Bacardi handles the distribution and day-to-day operations of the Cognac.
Château de Cognac
Casavecchia created D’Ussé at the Château de Cognac, a historic Cognac house that’s one of the oldest in France. A former castle fortress, the thick walls of the château help regulate the temperature and humidity within, making it the perfect venue for storing and blending spirits. The chateau is located in a region that’s been growing grapes and making wine and spirits for thousands of years, and there are eau de vies in the Château de Cognac’s cellars that date back more than 200 years.
The Château de Cognac also produced Baron Otard Cognac, another popular brand owned by Bacardi Limited that was unavailable in the United States when D’Ussé was first launched.
The D’Ussé Bottle
The D’Ussé bottle may not be quite as iconic as Hova himself, but it definitely stands out on a shelf. It’s an elegant, squat glass bottle emblazoned with the Cross of Lorraine, a powerful symbol of resistance in France that stands for honor, courage, and perseverance.
D’Ussé XO swaps the clear glass bottle for a sleek black one but retains the Cross of Lorraine symbol.
How Much is D’Ussé Worth?
The cash value of Jay-Z’s stake in D’Ussé has been the subject of a recent heated debate (more on that in a minute), but Forbes estimated his portion of the company to be worth around $100 million in 2019. Hundreds of thousands of cases of D’Ussé are sold annually, and the Cognac has contributed in no small part to Jay’s fortune.
Jay-Z’s Lawsuit Against Bacardi
In October of 2022, Jay-Z filed a lawsuit against Bacardi after attempting to sell them his half of the Cognac brand. According to the lawsuit, Bacardi, the company that owns the other half of D’Ussé, is contractually obligated to buy Jay-Z’s half of the brand. The lawsuit claimed that Bacardi was withholding critical information and stonewalling Jay-Z in an attempt to undercut the value of the artist’s shares.
A statement from Jay’s people claimed that they were interested in selling due to a conflict of interest and that they no longer liked how Bacardi was running the day-to-day operations of D’Ussé.
The pending lawsuit intends to try to get Bacardi to release more information on the finances of the Cognac so that Jay-Z can sell his stake for a fair price.
D’Ussé Varieties
There are two primary varieties of D’Ussé and one limited edition release. Let’s look at them below.
VSOP
D’Ussé VSOP is the company’s flagship spirit. It’s what most people refer to when they talk about D’Ussé, and it’s the younger (in terms of aging — it was created before the XO) and cheaper of the two D’Ussé products.
The Cognac is aged for at least four and a half years in French oak barrels and is bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof.) Like most Cognacs, it was created from a blend of different eau de vies.
D’Ussé VSOP has a complex spicy, woody, and slightly floral flavor with notes of almond, cinnamon, dried fruit, and honey. It’s delicious on its own, but its bold, somewhat spicy taste makes it an excellent Cognac for mixing into cocktails.
XO
D’Ussé XO is the higher end of the two main D’Ussé Cognac options. It’s made up of the rarest eau de vies hand-selected by Michel Casavecchia. All of the eau de vies in the blend have been aged for at least ten years, but many are much older. Just like the VSOP, it’s bottled at 40% ABV, which means it’s smooth and drinkable without too much “heat.”
Unlike the VSOP, D’Ussé XO is meant to be sipped neat (though no one’s going to stop you from mixing it in a cocktail!) It’s a rich, balanced, and complex Cognac with notes of dark chocolate, blackberry, apricot, and walnut.
D’Ussé 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition
In 2019, Michel Casavecchia presented Jay-Z with a diamond-shaped bottle of Cognac for his 50th birthday. The Cognac was bottled from a single barrel that had been aging in the Château de Cognac for at least 30 years. The Cognac was dubbed “D’Ussé 1969 Anniversaire” in honor of Jay’s birthday.
It’s rare for a Cognac to be made from a single barrel, which made this one even more special. It has notes of candied apple, walnut, hazelnut, leather, and a touch of smoke.
Only 285 bottles of D’Ussé 1969 Anniversaire were produced, and in 2021 Sotheby’s began auctioning them off, starting with “Bottle Number One,” the first bottle sold and the only one etched with Jay-Z’s signature. The bottle sold for $52,500, and proceeds from the auction went to support the Shawn Carter Foundation, an organization that provides scholarships for underprivileged children.
The remainder of the bottles of D’Ussé 1969 Anniversaire went on sale a few months later for $10,000 a piece.
How to Drink D’Ussé
D’Ussé, especially D’Ussé VSOP, was made to be mixed into a cocktail. That being said, you’ll get to experience the Cognac in its truest form if you sip it neat, so I would recommend drinking it however you prefer.
If you do decide to mix it into a cocktail, classics like a Sidecar of Vieux Carré (my personal favorite) are always a good choice. Jay-Z reportedly likes to mix his D’Ussé into a cocktail called “The Code,” made with amaretto and pineapple juice.
Where to Buy D’Ussé
You can find D’Ussé near you using the site’s store locator. It’s also available for delivery through sites like Drizly.
Ace of Spades
D’Ussé may have been Jay-Z’s first foray into the beverage world, but it wasn’t his last. In 2014 one of Jay’s companies purchased Armand de Brignac Champagne, commonly known as “Ace of Spades,” due to the design on the bottle.
The champagne has been around since 2006 and was started by a father and son team who are 12th and 13th-generation wine growers, respectively. Jay’s company bought it outright in 2014 before selling half of it to LVMH, the company behind Moët Hennessy. Jay’s stake in the company is worth an estimated $310 million.
Other Celebrity Spirits to Try
Jay-Z isn’t the only rapper with his own spirit brand!
- Ludacris is one of the founders and owners of Conjure Cognac.
- Drake is a partial owner of Virginia Black, a bourbon-style American whiskey.
- Travis Scott is the founder and owner of Cacti Seltzer, a blue agave-based spiked seltzer.
- 50 Cent once owned a stake in Effen Vodka.
- Sean “P. Diddy” Combs partnered with Ciroc Vodka and manages their lifestyle branding and marketing.
FAQs
Answer: A 750 ml bottle of D’Ussé VSOP retails for around $50 to $60. You can find smaller 375 ml bottles for under $30. A bottle of D’Ussé XO runs anywhere from $130 to over $200.
Answer: Cognac tends to be more expensive than many other spirits because of the limited amount produced and the time it takes to manufacture it. Cognac is made under strict regulations using specific grapes that are fermented into wine before being distilled, aged for many years, and blended into Cognac.
Answer: Cognac is not whiskey. While Cognac and whiskey are warming, complex brown spirits and sometimes share similar flavor notes, they are not the same. The most significant difference between the two is that whiskey is made from grains, whereas Cognac is made from grapes. That means Cognac is actually a brandy!
Final Thoughts
Regardless of what happens with Jay-Z’s lawsuit against Bacardi, there’s no denying that purchasing D’Ussé was just one of many intelligent business decisions made by the rapper-turned-entrepreneur. The money he’s made off D’Ussé and Ace of Spades leads me to believe that when it comes to the booze business, Jay-Z might be just getting started.