Hennessy Partners With Beijing Artist Liu Wei To Come Up With Limited Edition CNY Creation

This Spotlight is sponsored by Hennessy. 

The Year of the Ox symbolises openness, talent, and confidence, all of which are qualities that Maison Hennessy wishes to channel through their significant partnership together with Liu Wei. 

Thus, Liu Wei was given carte blanche to design a memorable, meaningful Hennessy creation to herald an auspicious season that ushers hope, togetherness, and bright horizons.

The Beijing-based artist has always been heavily influenced by the instability and fluctuation specific to 21st-century China, particularly towards his country's physical and intellectual landscape. 

Over the years, Liu has become a significant presence in the global art industry for his insightful and stylistic creations.

In fact, he has been nominated and won numerous awards for his works, including but not limited to, the Chinese Contemporary Art Award for Best Artist in 2008, Award of Art in China in 2016, and many more. 

When the artist toured the headquarters in Cognac, France, he was fascinated and impressed by the rhythm of life at Maison Hennessy. From the surrounding vineyards to the distilleries, and the Founder's Cellar, Maison Hennessy holds a rich, unique heritage of questioning, exploring, and perfecting a craft.

"Maison Hennessy is sort of a culture unto itself. In Cognac, I realised how much time and patience it requires crafting a barrel or perfecting a blend. 

"In a world where so many people work like machines, Maison Hennessy focuses on the excellence of the gesture. We both bring the world’s beauty to life through art: what we create is a contemporary expression of emotion," Liu Wei shared.

The artwork embodies vibrant shades of fuchsia, blue, green, and yellow. With close observation, one would perceive the painting to be organic and spontaneous. 

In retrospect, Liu Wei depicts the artwork as the fruit of reflection and resistance, a gesture of self-expression, and a creative metaphor for the many directions one may choose to take in life. 

The beautiful cognac bottle is donned with Liu Wei's chosen colour palette, expressing Spring's cheerfulness. 

Upon smelling the cognac, you'll notice some hints of vanilla, clove, and cinnamon, followed by the toasted notes of the aged oak barrels. In terms of taste, you'll get Hennessy V.S.O.P's iconic taste – the strength and smoothness of the cognac. 

Unlike other Hennessy X.O bottles, this edition gives X.O an aroma of candied fruit combined with a subtle hint of spice. Upon tasting, you'll also notice hints of cocoa, and a warm, fruity presence of X.O.

Additionally, you can also be part of Hennessy Malaysia's social movement by sharing an illuminating moment of yourself this year. Here's how you can participate:

1. Post two pictures on Instagram, one nostalgic photo of yourself from 2020, and another coloured photo of an illuminated moment coming into 2021 with hope and possibilities

2. Include these hashtags – #HennessyMY and #IlluminateCNY2021

3. Make sure your profile is set to public

On the other hand, the Hennessy Chinese New Year collection is now available at major supermarkets including AEON, Ben's Independent Grocer, Giant, Jaya Grocer, Mercato, and Village Grocer.

You can also order them online. Check out the e-retail websites:

Hennessy V.S.O.P
- Boozeat
- Drinkies
- Malting Point
- Shopee
- Stay Thirsty
- The Good Stuff
- Whisky.my

Hennessy X.O
- Boozeat
- Malting Point
- Shopee
- Stay Thirsty
- The Good Stuff
- Whisky.my 
- Wine Shop

As a reminder, the legal drinking age in Malaysia is 21 years old. That means you need to be 21 in order to buy and consume alcohol. Remember to always drink responsibly and in moderation. If you plan to drink, try carpooling with a friend who isn't drinking or catch a cab instead of driving.

Take a look at all of our Spotlight stories to date here.