You would have probably read my previous two (2) posts from the launch of the new Hennessy V.S.O.P. bottle but if you haven’t you can find the posts here:

https://timchew.net/2012/05/25/hennessy-vsop-new-bottle-launch/

https://timchew.net/2012/05/28/hennessy-vsop-new-bottle-launch-party-double-tree/

In case you were wondering about what exactly the changes are well read on…

.

.

Legends are shaped over time. 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” hence the term V.S.O.P. was born!

This cognac’s personality has gone unchanged for nearly two centuries. Under the stewardship of Hennessy’s cellar master, the Tasting Committee (of which there are only 8 members at any one time) 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.

Such a cognac should be presented in a bottle whose curves signify the elegance and generosity of its content, as well as its balance and exceptional harmony and designer Chris Bangle has been tasked with moving the design of the Hennessy V.S.O.P. bottle forward.

.

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.

“Designing for Hennessy gave me the same sensations as working on designs for fast BMWs or a great Rolls Royce. It is that experience of a unique emotion,” said Chris.

Watch this video to see exactly what he did.

.

.

.

Hennessy V.S.O.P. Bottle Design – Key Changes

The curve in the side of the bottle is slightly accentuated by less than a millimeter nonetheless, reinforcing the dynamics of its silhouette.

Inspired by the Hennessy V.S.O.P. bottle created in 1954, Chris Bangle chose to confirm this upward movement with a thicker base resembling a pedestal to give it a more grand appearance.

The bottom of the bottle is hollow to adapt it for better handling.

Lengthened the bottle’s neck and straightened its shoulders, stretching it vertically thus increasing it’s height. Bartenders the world over will rejoice as this makes it easier for them to pour.

Drew two lines of perspectives in the glass around the central label, creating an optical effect by structuring the front of the bottle with a pyramid perspective. This geometry attracts one’s regard toward the top of the bottle, where Chris Bangle chose to engrave the legendary arm and axe of the Hennessy family into the glass itself. Incidentally I have a little bronze emblem (arm and axe which is the Hennessy family’s code of arms) and if you look closely at my photos you’ll see it on my lapel.

Revised the choice of paper and colours for the labels: a few millimetres from the arm and axe, the symbolic Hennessy V.S.O.P. oval is coloured in a dark grey ennobled with golden embossing, a reminder of the alchemy of contrasts comprising it. The main label highlights this refinement with a shimmering gloss imprinted with clusters of grapes and vine leaves in the background as a subliminal reminder of the origins of the cognac contained in the bottle.

.

.

The box that the bottle comes in has also benefited from this renewal, giving its edges over to a more modern vision: the sides have been refined so that all we see is the bottle, dramatised by photographer Adam Savitch.

The “Superior” quality of the cognac is evoked by the liquid splash of V.S.O.P. on the back of the bottle, a reminder of the curves of an “S”.

Lastly, one side of the box, called “Black Tie”, glorifies elegant purity on a black background decorated with a band of golden vine leaves, echoing the bottle’s label. This band is part of the heritage of the Hennessy V.S.O.P. box created in 1954, where it appeared in a red and gold version.

A laser stamp for the 35-cl, 70-cl and 3-litre bottles and a hologram of increased complexity (now with new horizontal lines forming a grape cluster) seal the cap. The “Superior” quality of the cognac is evoked by the liquid splash of V.S.O.P. on the back of the bottle, a reminder of the curves of an “S”.

.

BTW there’s a Hennessy Artistry coming up really soon. Log on to www.facebook.com/HennessyMalaysia to find out how to get yourself some passes.

Photo credits: Hennessy Malaysia and author’s own