Call it a changing of the guard. This year, Hennessy’s Master Blender Yann Fillioux is officially to hand over the reins to his nephew, Renaud Fillioux de Gironde. (Yann has served for 50 years with Hennessy.) Both are members of their family’s eight generations of master blenders for Maison Hennessy: Yann is generation seven, Renaud is generation eight.
In honor of the eighth generation’s ascendence, Yann has created the ultimate blend, which he’s aptly titled “Hennessy 8.” “The number ‘8’ is the eternal symbol of perfection, as Hennessy 8 well illustrates,” notes Yann Fillioux. “For me, it embodies ideal simplicity and absolute perfection.”
The cognac is limited to just 250 bottles, in honor of Hennessy’s recent 250th anniversary. The bottle and its extravagant packaging were designed by artist and longtime friend of the Hennessey brand, Arik Levy. The bottle and its stopper are made out of hand-blown Baccarat crystal; its packaging of 25 layers of oak sourced from the brand’s barrel-maker. (That irregular cut down the center is meant to evoke the Charente river that runs through Cognac, France.) Each bottle will be individually numbered and signed by the artist. List price: $39,000. For more information, click here.
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