Entering The Grand Tasting Room And 4 Other Things That Happened At Hennessy Declassified
We even got to taste the rarest cognac of them all, the Hennessy Paradis Impérial.
By Esther Chung — 26 Dec 2017, 05:27 PM
The Hennessy Declassified exhibition was held in Platinum Park near KLCC just recently
The exhibition was held from 11 till 16 December, where the world-famous cognac house transported their guests to their vineyards and cellars in Cognac through an immersive and interactive showcase.
1. We were given a virtual tour of the Cognac region, which looked super beautiful
The Hennessy Declassified exhibition was split into five main stages, the first of which was called Walk in Cognac. Here, we were given a virtual 360-degree view of the Cognac region. We could see how the vineyard changed throughout the seasons: from the planting of grapes during spring to its harvesting in autumn.
2. The entire cognac-making process was on display, even the actual French oak barrel used to age it
Did you know that the art of making Hennessy's cognac is a family tradition that has been passed down for eight generations? We had the chance to see the Hennessy family's signature craftmanship in cognac-making at the exhibition, and even pose with the actual French barrel oak used to age the distilled eau-de-vie.
3. Hennessy allowed us to step into the mysterious Grand Tasting Room, which has never been opened to the public before
Hennessy has an eight-person Tasting Committee that samples the eau-de-vie daily to ensure the quality of the cognac they produce. The committee will meet in the Grand Tasting Room in Hennessy's Cognac headquarters at 11am daily to taste and choose the appropriate eau-de-vie, which will be used to create the signature Hennessy cognac.
Fun fact: The position of Hennessy's Master Blender is also a family affair, which has been passed down the Fillioux family for more than 250 years.
4. We got to taste the rare Hennessy Paradis Impérial, a blend which was made from 10 out of 10,000 eau-de-vie that are at their point of elegance
Hennessy's Paradis Impérial has an impressive story behind its creation. As mentioned earlier, the Fillioux family in France has produced eight generations of Master Blenders for Hennessy. Throughout the 250 years, each of the Master Blender has selected and collected the rarest and most elite eau-de-vie ever produced. The Paradis Impérial is the creation of this collection.
5. There were specially crafted cocktails by world-renowned mixologists
By the end of the exhibition, we were greeted with cocktails made by Gento Torigata from Singapore and Rita Bonita from Hong Kong. We also had the chance to try cocktails made by the owner of HYDE at 53M, who created one inspired by local flavours - the Hennessy Luo Han Kuo.
It was an enriching night at Hennessy Declassified, and we're definitely looking forward to more great nights with Hennessy
We had a great time learning about cognac, especially the history and efforts that go into producing the best blend. We also really enjoyed the cocktail session at the end, having the chance to taste the creations of internationally acclaimed mixologists. If only the night didn't have to end so soon.
Till then, we'll be looking forward to Hennessy's next big event!
