A Masterpiece Tribute
Made using the rarest eaux-devie in Hennessy’s reserves, this unique bottling of Richard Hennessy is the connoisseur’s choice
The art of cognac appreciation begins with the eyes, followed by the nose and taste—but as most cognac connoisseurs will attest, the vessel in which the cognac comes in is equally as important. This March, Hennessy unveils their latest design for its rarest cognac, Richard Hennessy, which was created in collaboration with world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind.
This extremely limited blend is a living tribute to Hennessy’s forefather, Richard Hennessy—an Irish officer who enlisted in the army of French King Louis XV before carving out his own destiny as a merchant and maker of outstanding cognacs. Starting his distillery in 1765, he later passed down the business to his son James, who linked up the Hennessy family with the Fillioux family of Master Blenders. Eight generations and more than 250 years later, the bond between the two families is stronger than ever.
A testament to the Hennessyfillioux bond, the Richard Hennessy cognac is made from some of the rarest eaux-de-vie in Hennessy’s reserves in just 12 tierçons—a traditional type of barrel handcrafted in French oak by generations of cooper masters at the Maison’s own tonnellerie, or barrel-making workshop. Of course, a cognac this exquisite deserves a decanter to match, which is what led Hennessy to approach Libeskind for the task.
“I have admired Hennessy for many years, so I was honoured to take on the challenge,” said Libeskind, calling the brand “the epitome of heritage luxury”. The award-winning Polish American architect is best known for rebuilding the World Trade Center in New York’s Lower Manhattan, as well as his other projects including the Jewish Museum Berlin (Germany), Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto), and Crystals at City Center (Las Vegas).
Widely recognised for his architectural play on sharp angles, diagonal slices and jagged edges, Libeskind spent several years working on the design process for Hennessy, which included up to hundreds of hand sketches that were transformed by 3D modelling on the computer. “We approached the design the same way Hennessy creates its cognacs—slow and methodically,” he says. “This gave us the space to explore the ritual of drinking cognac and how it translates to the design of the decanter.”
The result? An unapologetically bold and striking decanter that perfectly encapsulates both the legacy and heritage of Richard
Hennessy. Made entirely of Baccarat crystal, the decanter pushes the boundaries of design with its signature, geometric Libeskind silhouette and soft, curved inset that captures the energy and complexity of the limited-edition cognac. Besides the decanter itself, Libeskind has also designed a set of accessories to match, including glasses, a fusil and a tray.
As for the cognac itself, Richard Hennessy is a testament to the Master Blender’s savoir-faire and the Maison’s 250 years of history. This extraordinary and intense cognac is created by mixing the rarest, most aromatic eaux-de-vie with some younger eaux-de-vie, resulting in a powerful, spicy taste with aromatic notes of orange peel, leather, tobacco and candied fruits. Together with its exceptionally long finish, Richard Hennessy is nothing short of a masterpiece tribute to its founder and the maison’s fascinating history as one of the world’s finest cognac producers.