HENNESSY Richard Hennessy 40% ABV, Cognac

Richard Hennessy is the pinnacle of the Hennessy collection, a founder’s tribute that draws on more than 250 years of the maison’s history in Cognac. Created as a homage to Richard Hennessy, the Irish officer who founded the house in 1765, the blend is composed of over 100 eaux-de-vie, some dating back to the early 19th century, drawn from the Founder’s Cellar and released in tiny quantities each year.

These Ugni Blanc–based spirits from leading Cognac crus are aged for decades in French oak, including historic tierçon barrels crafted in Hennessy’s own cooperage, before being assembled and left to marry for exceptional harmony. In the glass it shows a deep amber-mahogany colour and a layered nose of flowers, mixed spice, nutmeg, fennel, vanilla and rose, with undertones of leather, nuts and candied fruit. The palate is supple yet concentrated, with waves of spice, preserved and dried fruits, nuts and fine oak, finishing very long with a sweet-spiced, patisserie-like richness that rewards slow sipping after a serious meal. Presented in a Baccarat crystal decanter designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, complete with service accessories and a substantial case, Richard Hennessy sits at the very top of the global Cognac market and in Australia has become a true showpiece bottle for collectors who already own first-growth Bordeaux, grand cru Burgundy and prestige Champagne.