Cognac but with a little splash of 24 carat gold luxury…
To celebrate their 150-year anniversary, the world’s most favoured cognac brand, Hennessy X.O launches a limited-edition 24 carat gold-dipped bronze covered bottle – marking the first of its kind in the world.
Today, in partnership with world-renowned Canadian-born architect, Frank Gehry, together with Hennessy X.O they have debuted their masterpiece for Hennessy X.O’s 150th anniversary which pays homage to the to the odyssey of the Extra Old (X.O) Cognac.
With work behind the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris and let’s not forget his work designing the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi which was later suspended; Hennessy only found it fitting that Frank would work on this hands-on project to design this limited-edition decanter.
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- Hennessy X.O Frank Gehry Collaboration. 24 carat gold bottle. Image supplied
Using his signature trademark sculptural style mixed with unconventional aesthetic, Gehry was able to reinterpret the iconic 1947-designed Hennessy X.O carafe – which was inspired by an upturned cluster of grapes – with a redesign that sees glass and 24 carat gold seamlessly married together; resulting in a bottle that has now become the newest legacy carrying on the world-renowned prolific name behind the Hennessy brand.
Paying homage to a series of corrugated cardboard furniture Frank Gehry designed in the 1970s; for this Hennessy X.O project, Gehry used the soil, twisting vines and the glistening Charente River that runs through the Hennessy Maison as inspiration.
To start the design, Gehry used the iconic Hennessy X.O bottle and later enveloped it in a mesmerising crinkled sleeve made up of 24 carat gold-dipped bronze which enlightens the radiant movement of cognac inside as it reflects the light. Finally, upon opening, the sculptural decanter is then encased by a fractured glass glorifier, which further amplifies the inspiration of water and light.
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- Hennessy X.O Frank Gehry Collaboration. 24 carat gold bottle. Image supplied
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- Hennessy X.O Frank Gehry Collaboration. 24 carat gold bottle. Image supplied
With luxury and exclusivity at their forefront, the gold-covered Hennessy X.O bottle will only have 150 decanters of its kind available worldwide, each imprinted individually with Frank Gehry’s signature. A wider release of limited-edition Hennessy X.O bottles also created by Frank Gehry, will launch in markets worldwide to further celebrate this exceptional collaboration.
Speaking on the collaboration with Hennessy X.O, Frank Gehry said, “It was an honour to be asked to celebrate this milestone for Hennessy X.O. While I was excited, it was also daunting because a bottle of cognac is already a work of art, one you can smell, taste and feel – it doesn’t need embellishment as it’s already there.
We are showing how we can be creative within that language. There’s such a powerful history and a serious emotional commitment from the people that make this product. It has a resonance that’s interesting to tie into and become a part of.”
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- Hennessy X.O Frank Gehry Collaboration. 24 carat gold bottle. Image supplied
Using the same philosophy, passion and curiosity as he does when designing his architectural masterpieces, for this once-in-a-lifetime limited-release, Frank considered the customs, compositions and art of distillation of the renowned Hennessy X.O Cognac as well as the heritage of the Hennessy Maison.
To complete the multi-sensory experience, Hennessy Master Blender Renaud Fillioux de Gironde and the Hennessy Comité deDégustation have paired Hennessy X.O’s taste odyssey into seven distinct chapters that flow seamlessly into one another – sweet notes, flowing flame, rising heat, chocolate lull, spicy edge, wood crunches and infinite echo – all creating the striking, sensational and well-rounded distinct flavour of candied fruit that meets slightly sweet smoothness and tantalising spicy over notes.
To learn more about the Hennessy X.O collaboration with Frank Gehry, head to Hennessy website.
Looking for other luxurious limited-edition releases? Feast your eyes and tastebuds on the $3000 premium whiskey from Woodford Reserve and Baccarat Crystal. Or for a sophisticated cocktail to make at home, why not try this Martell Blue Swift recipe that uses 100% Cognac VSOP finished in Kentucky bourbon casks.
