We were sitting within a beautiful marble interior of a heritage bungalow in the forested confines of Keppel Hill, when Patrick Madendjian, the Managing Director of Moët Hennessy Diageo Singapore & Malaysia, leaned forward in his chair and asked me, “Now where did you get that perception that cognac is for old people?”
It’s a common sentiment that a heritage brand like Hennessy had traditionally been marketed towards older, affluent consumers; an audience who would have the maturity and storied experience to appreciate the brand’s heritage and quality.
Also, let’s be real — who has ever offered to pull out a bottle of cognac at a dinner party? More commonly, it’s been either champagne or wine, so unless I need to switch up my dinner company, Madendjian shared the favourable results whenever he plays host. “I get a group of people over who know nothing about cognac, but have a preconceived idea of what they expect. Then when they do drink it, their reaction is delightful. I love that.”
Alice Dietlin, Éditions Rares Director of Hennessy, chimed in, “I had the same perception. I saw that in my family, where the older men in France would usually gravitate to cognac.”
She adds, “When I discovered Hennessy, I saw the vibrancy of it, through its collaborations with the NBA, and its strong presence in music in both the Western and Eastern markets. I’ve even witnessed how people in their 40’s now regard cognac as a sexy drink.”
We Need to Talk About Cognac
Hennessy, or rather cognac in general, has had permanent residence in the American hip-hop scene since the 90s. Rappers were name-dropping luxury labels in their songs – with Hennessy as a common occurrence – as a reference point for old-world luxury.
The mise en scene is not that different here in Singapore, where Madendjian mentioned Hennessy being the drink of choice in “high-energy places” aka nightclubs and similar nightlife scenes.
After all, we were gathered that evening to celebrate the latest campaign launch of the Hennessy Paradis, one which featured a powerful musical duet comprising Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys and legendary pianist Lang Lang. For the evening’s soirée, acclaimed pianist for the Singapore Symphony Group, Gabriel Hoe, performed set pieces to the crowd’s delight.
“Paradis is nothing complicated, but an elevated experience,” said Dietlin. “I used to bother my master blender to share his tasting notes with me, but he would tell me: Don’t overthink it, it’s just good to drink.” She added, “The Hennessy Paradis has simplicity in its emotions that we want to convey. And sharing that here tonight is what’s important.”
Paradise on Earth
The Hennessy Paradis was released in 1979, an amber-gold liquid elixir made by sixth-generation master blender Maurice Fillioux. The story goes that he created it while inspired by music, and sought “to create a subtle, harmonious blend for sharing with his closest friends.”
The name “Paradis” was derived from the cellar in which Hennessy’s most precious reserves of eau-de-vie are kept; it is translated from French to mean “heaven”. Both Madendjian and Dietlin advised that the Hennessy Paradis is an entrée to the Hennessy universe.
With that said, the Hennessy Paradis was everything it claimed to be – smooth and lightweight, with subtle and sweet fruity notes of plum and honey, with spice to follow. The liquid goes down the throat with a little heat as anticipated, but Dietlin taught me another trick: hold a sip of still water in my mouth and follow it up with the Paradis. The subtle heat was easily extinguished, yet the flavours remained enjoyable.
“There is no ‘prescription’ from Hennessy to say there’s a right way to drink it,” said Madendjian. “In Nigeria, they drink it with Coca-Cola. South Africans have Appletiser, a local sparkling apple juice. In Malaysia, there are preferences of tonic water, cranberry juice, green tea, or ginger ale.”
“Enjoying Hennessy really depends on the moment, the energy of the room, and what you really feel like,” said Madendjian. “Though I have to say, the perfect pairing is having it with foie gras. First, you place a bottle of Paradis in your freezer. It’ll never freeze – the viscosity of the liquid will change but the taste remains the same. You then sear a slice of foie gras and have that with your cognac. It’s heaven.”
Explore Hennessy Paradis here.
Text: Katherine Arteche
