[Event]
Sylvia and I headed over to Menara KEN TTDI on 26 November 2018 for Hennessy Declassified 2018 which once again gave us Malaysian consumers a glimpse into the brand’s vineyards and cellars from the Cognac region from 26th of November to 1st of December 2018. (Read about my experience at the first ever Hennessy Declassified in Malaysia here – https://timchew.net/2017/12/27/hennessy-declassified-2017-at-platinum-park-kuala-lumpur/).
Hennessy Declassified provided us guests with a digitally immersive experience to understand the art of Hennessy’s craftsmanship that has been passed on for eight generations over the past 252 years and its entire Hennessy cognac-making process.
We started the experiential “tour” at “The Tunnel”, followed by “A Walk in Cognac” where we were surrounded by the sounds of terroir – with a huge wide screen that showed the four (4) seasons in Cognac, from tending the terroir in spring to harvesting Ugni Blanc in autumn.
At the “Double Distillation” zone, we were taken to a thorough explanation of Hennessy’s distillation process of the eaux-de-vie during winter followed by an interactive “Infographic Wall”.
At the “Heart of Hennessy”, we got an overview of the brand’s craftsmanship through a comprehensive showcase of the entire cognac-making process. This gave us a better understanding on how the eaux-de-vie ages in French oak barrels until it is transformed into Hennessy cognac.
Next up was a sneak peak of “Chateau de Bagnolet” while waiting for the clock to “strike 11am” – signalling the time to enter the “Time for Decision” room where the ritual of Hennessy’s hereditary tasting committee who are in charge of tasting, choosing and making decision for an exceptional blend for Hennessy was revealed. The Master Blender and his tasting committee will gather to taste and select the perfect eaux-de-vie at 11am every day.
The next destination – the “House of Hennessy” – was a beautiful lounge with comfy sofas and gorgeous showpieces of the Hennessy cognac collection including the full range of Hennessy’s iconic collection. Brand Ambassador of Hennessy, Mr Chong Wai Keng led us through a tasting session of Hennessy X.O – the inventor of Cognac classification, being the very first Cognac classified as X.O or “extra old” due to its extended aging process.
Our last stop was the speakeasy “Hennessy Lounge” where internationally acclaimed mixologists, David Kit Dave of Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore (26th November – 28th November) served his exclusively curated cocktails – Frenchie Tea and Popping Grenade. (Jamie Rhind of Bamboo Bar, Bangkok takes over from 29th November – 1st December and will be serving his specially curated Birds, Bees & the Trees and Chinatown.)
Since 2016, David Kit Dave has played an important role in helping Nutmeg & Clove achieve and maintain its position as one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, ranking in at number 33 this year. Jamie Rhind, on the other hand has overseen the rise of Bamboo Bar to become the 9th Best Bar in Asia and Thailand’s Best Bar – achieving further success by being nominated for “Top 10 International Hotel Bar” at the ‘Tales of the Cocktail’ Awards and featured as the 55th best bar in the world on William Reed’s “The World’s 50 Best Bars”.
The entire week of Hennessy Declassified also featured signature cocktails from Hennessy and HYDE such as Hennessy VS Highball – one of the purest and refreshing ways to enjoy Hennessy VS. Owner and mixologist, Andrew Tan also specially curated and designed Hennessy Shrooms to highlight Hennessy VSOP’s natural balance of strength and smoothness with a long-lasting finish. Hennessy Shrooms and Hennessy VS Highball will continue to be available at HYDE.
For more information, head over to https://www.facebook.com/HennessyMalaysia or https://www.hennessy.com/declassified/en-my/
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timchew.net 