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Beauté du Siècle: A stunning tribute to Kilian Hennessy, a hugely influential figure in the Cognac house’s history |
NETHERLANDS. Leading Cognac house Hennessy and Schiphol Airport Retail have unveiled the limited edition Beauté du Siècle at the retailer’s Finest Spirits & Cigars store at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The Moodie Report was on hand for the release yesterday.
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The edition was created to mark the centenary of the birth of Kilian Hennessy, the sixth generation of the family after the founder of the Cognac house, Richard Hennessy. It is being exhibited exclusively at the Finest Spirits & Cigars store in Departure Lounge 3.
Valued at €150,000 ex-VAT, the item is described as “a very precious Cognac in a precious chest”. It was made to order and only very few will be made available.
Created and produced by Jean-Michel Othoniel, Hennessy Beauté du Siècle is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional liqueur chest. Schiphol Airport Retail and Hennessy said in a joint statement: “Beauté du Siècle is a massive piece of art containing a carafe of exceptional Cognac created by Master Blender and Taster Yann Fillioux. A masterpiece of craftsmanship, Beauté du Siècle is the fruit of the work of more than ten artists and craftsmen.
“The carafe of Cognac is a blend of some one hundred of the most remarkable eaux-de-vie selected, the oldest of which dates back to 1907, from among the Hennessy reserves. This unique Cognac is presented in a Baccarat crystal decanter, designed in the traditional form of the sample flasks used by the House of Hennessy.”
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Schiphol Airport Retail and Hennessy teams celebrate the unveiling: (From left) Schiphol Airport Retail Director Peter-Jan Rozenberg, Moët Hennessy Europe Travel Retail Director Donatienne de Fontaines-Guillaume, Hennessy Brand Ambassador Marc Boissonnet, Moët Hennessy Europe Key Account Manager Travel Retail Bruno Teixeira and Schiphol Airport Retail Category Manager Liquor & Tobacco Marc Gatoux |
Explaining why Hennessy chose Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as the showcase, Hennessy Ambassador Marc Boissonnet said: “Amsterdam Airport Schiphol offers a high-quality network that will enable many passengers to live the unique experience of being introduced to Hennessy’s masterpiece Beauté du Siècle.”
Otto Ambagtsheer, Director of the Business Area Consumers at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, added: “As Europe’s preferred airport, it is our ambition to offer passengers and consumers an exceptional shopping experience in a very qualitative travel retail environment and satisfy the high expectations of travellers in terms of innovation and creativity.”
The Finest Spirits & Cigars store offers a selection of exclusive and rare wines, cognacs, malt whiskies, Champagnes and a collection of special Cuban cigars. One of the key target markets is the Chinese passenger, as explained by Schiphol Airport Retail Director Peter-Jan Rozenberg in The Moodie Podcast (click on the icon above). He said: “The store has been open for four months now, and one-third of the turnover is generated by Chinese passengers.”
Watch out for The Moodie Report’s Print Edition for January/February, out soon, for an interview with Peter-Jan Rozenberg and an in-depth feature on Schiphol Airport Retail.
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The bottle and case on display at the Finest Spirits & Cigars store |
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The attention to detail on this rare, exclusive item is spectacular |
