[Special Event]

Dragged myself out of bed (was out drinking tequila the night before) and somehow managed to drive down to Double Tree in KL city for the launch of the new Hennessy VSOP bottle on 18 May 2012.

Not many brands can get me out of bed to attend an event. Good thing this was Hennessy.

Here’s a little info on their VSOP:

The legend of Hennessy V.S.O.P. began on 7 October 1817, when the future King George IV of England asked the great French cognac House to supply him with a special cognac described in the records with the words “Very Superior Old Pale” (now we know what VSOP stands for).

I remember sometime back I asked one of the Hennessy ambassadors what was the most difficult part about making Hennessy and he told me that it was making sure that every batch of Hennessy had the same consistent flavours (the cognac’s personality has gone unchanged for nearly two centuries) as the grape harvest may differ from year to year.

This is achieved under the stewardship of Hennessy’s cellar master, the Tasting Committee hands down the secrets of selection, ageing and blending, as can be seen in the use, for maturation, of oak barrels that have lost part of their tannin, so as to avoid giving the eau de vie excessively woody notes while providing an elegant expression.

There are only 8 Tasting Committee members in the world. I know a few friends of mine who would give one of their hands to be in this select committee (right Michael and Deep?).

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Christopher Edward “Chris” Bangle is an American automobile designer known for best for his work as Chief of Design for BMW Group, where he was responsible for the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce cars from 1992 to 2006. Remember the unorthodox ‘Bangle’s bump’ on the 2002 BMW 7-series? Yup that’s the work of Chris Bangle.

During the Bangle era, BMW overtook Mercedes as the global leader in premium car sales. Chris Bangle is also the creator of the emblematic M6, Z4 and the famous GINA Visionary Model concept car, his last project in the world of automobile design before leaving the car industry altogether to focus on his own design-related endeavours under his own firm called Chris Bangle Associates based in Turin, Italy.

The Hennessy V.S.O.P new carafe is his first masterpiece outside the automobile industry. For Hennessy V.S.O.P., Chris had to first identify the cognac’s personality by delving into its history. He visited the Hennessy HQ in Cognac, France to understand the road travelled by these eaux de vie, from the first cluster of grapes to their maturation in oak barrels to the final product.

He gave us a ‘live’ demonstration of the new design changes on his iPad.

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Here’s what Chris Bangle did to the current Hennessy VSOP bottle:

He accentuated the curves on the sides of the bottle, thereby reinforcing its silhouette’s dynamics, then he lengthened its neck and straightened its shoulders, stretching it vertically (the practical impact of this is that bartenders have a longer neck to grip when pouring). Inspired by the Hennessy V.S.O.P. bottle created in 1954, Chris Bangle chose to confirm this upward movement with an enriched base resembling a pedestal to distinguish the whole with opulence while maintaining its stability.

With a carefully designed optical effect, the front of the bottle evokes a pyramid perspective, suggesting an upward vanishing point to draw the eye toward the top of the bottle, where Chris Bangle has chosen to engrave the legendary arm and axe of the Hennessy family into the glass itself (I actually have a cool bronze lapel pin of this!). The symbolic Hennessy V.S.O.P. oval label is in dark grey ennobled with golden embossing a few millimetres from this.

Security Features

Don’t know if you’re buying the real stuff? Don’t worry cause Hennessy has beefed up by developing new anti-counterfeiting techniques for the Hennessy V.S.O.P bottle: a laser stamp for the 35-cl, 70-cl and 3-litre bottles and a hologram of inimitable complexity (now with horizontal lines forming a grape cluster) seal the cap, ensuring product integrity.

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In September 2011, after a successful 24-year tenure as cellar master at the family-owned estate producer Cognac Frapin, Olivier was invited to take up a newly created role as member of the tasting committee and “head of distilleries and communication of eau-de-vie know-how” at the heart of the world’s biggest cognac house, Hennessy – the region’s most important producer and exporter.

So what exactly does Olivier do?

Olivier Paultes explains: “I am in charge of the Hennessy distillation and contacts with all the big distilleries who work for Hennessy, as well as overseeing the blending. Previously I had to look after all the elements of producing and bottling cognac, from labels and corks, to marketing as well.

“So today I am very happy, because I can focus on my true passion, working at the heart of the cognac elaboration process: handling the complexities of the eaux-de-vie and the distillation.”

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Each dish was prepared with specially selected ingredients to highlight specific characteristics/ flavours of the Hennessy VSOP.

Pairing 1 – Scallops cooked in 3 styles:

Raw Marinated Scallops – Purity – here you get the full on taste of the cognac

Seared Scallops with Grilled Almonds – Toasty – the almonds brought out the nutty flavours of the cognac. I like this one a lot!

Scallops Lightly Seared with Sea Salt – Velvety – the cognac is so smooth as it slides down your throat

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Pairing 2

 

Wagyu Beef Tournedos with Candied Ginger and Pan-Fried Shiitake Mushrooms – Strength & Delicacy – the cognac is not a ‘p*ssy’ drink however it is also exquisite and refined at the same time!

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Pairing 3

Slow Cooked Chicken – Roundness, Mellowness & Harmony. Juicy tender chicken on a bed of vege and covered in creamy Hennessy sauce! This dish serves to highlight that the cognac is well-balanced, mellow and has flavours that work well together. I think I practically cleaned up all the sauce in this dish. I must get the recipe for it!

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V.S.O.P. embodies those values. Because that is how the future is made: by designing legends.

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Btw for you collectors out there, better get a current bottle to keep as the new bottle will be replacing it very soon.

So this concluded the morning session. I headed home for some much needed sleep before the Hennessy VSOP new bottle launch party that same night. Stay tuned for part 2…

For more information head to the Hennessy Malaysia Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HennessyMalaysia

Photo credits: Hennessy Malaysia and author’s own