Why apprentice tasters in Hennessy have to remain silent for at least five years
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Why apprentice tasters in Hennessy have to remain silent for at to the lowest degree five years
The rigour, adjoining on reverence, is necessary when information technology comes to crafting a blend as rare as the Hennessy Paradis Imperial, says Hennessy's head of distilleries Olivier Paultes.
The Hennessy Paradis Imperial comes in a decanter designed by Arik Levy. (Photos: Hennessy)
05 Apr 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 04 Jul 2022 03:58PM)
If you are an apprentice in Hennessy's tasting commission, Olivier Paultes, the cognac house's head of distilleries, wants you to be completely silent when you are tasting the eaux-de-vie (colourless brandies distilled from Ugni Blanc vino) alongside your senior colleagues. You lot tin't say a word for 10 years. Until then, it is watch and learn; speak only when spoken to.
"Our tasting committee consists of 7 members: Hennessy'southward 8th generation master blender, Renaud Fillioux de Gironde; a cask skillful; a wine specialist; a distillation expert; 2 young colleagues, 1 of whom is a 33-year-sometime woman – a offset in our commission; and me," Paultes told CNA Luxury. "The young members can smell, taste, and, of form, spit [the eaux-de-vie], but information technology is forbidden for them to talk or comment. It is only after five years that we start to ask them some questions."
The decorum seems similar an austere dominion lifted from a top Tokyo sushi articulation, where an amateur has to spend several years preparing sushi rice before his itamae or head chef allows him to make sushi for guests. But for Paultes, such a dominion is hardly anachronistic. "Tasting is all near concentration," said Paultes. "I want [my younger colleagues] to focus carefully on the subtleties of the dissimilar eaux-de-sixe, and acquire how to age them [in casks]."
The 55-year-old Paultes is no stranger to the art of ageing and blending brandies. His groovy-grandfather and grandpa were chief blenders in Cognac. He offset entered the industry as an inventory hand for pocket-sized cognac producers, taking stock – and sniffing – their collection of eaux-de-vie. At 23, he joined Frapin, a family-run cognac producer, to learn about blending. Two years later on, he was promoted, condign France's youngest cellar master.
After 24 years at Frapin, Paultes joined Hennessy in 2011, where he is responsible for the quality of the eaux-de-vie sourced from 800 distilleries in Cognac. Hennessy'due south eaux-de-vie come from the 4 top crus in Cognac: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, and Fins Bois.
Each eau-de-vie has "its own [specificities]", which will influence how it is aged and blended, said Paultes. "For example, with an eau-de-vie that has a fragile perfume, yous'd desire to put it in old casks of 8 to ten years erstwhile, to preserve its aromas. For a brandy that is spicy, yous can use it for our X.O alloy, which has that flavour profile. If your eaux-de-vie selection is not precise, yous tin can't brand a proficient cognac."
The Hennessy Paradis Majestic – the jewel in Hennessy's portfolio – requires a very precise selection of eaux-de-vie: Only an average of 10 out of 10,000 eaux-de-vie from whatever given harvest have the potential to get into the alloy for this particular spirit.
"For the Paradis Imperial, nosotros selection eaux-de-vie that have a lot of floral aromas. We are looking for elegance," remarked Paultes. The premium cognac offers notes of jasmine and cedar, with delicious standard mandarin peel flavours that unfurl on your palate. There is a hint of spice; a whiff of cardamom. Its finish is long simply non overpowering, fading gently like the glow of a dusk. Paultes, who was in town recently to launch the new Hennessy Paradis Imperial, said information technology has "finesse and a very expert balance".
The 2022 edition of the Hennessy Paradis Imperial offers an exquisite crystal decanter designed by artist and designer, Arik Levy; and a Louis Vuitton-crafted trunk – bachelor on special order – that holds four magnums of the Paradis Imperial.
More than 100 top eaux-de-vie of varying ages course the Paradis Imperial'southward blend, with the oldest existence a brandy of about 130 years onetime, which was stored in a demi-john or large drinking glass jar. Paultes clears upward a common misconception almost cask-ageing: You can't have an eau-de-vie that is aged for 130 years in wood. If yous fill a 350-litre cask, you lot will have just fourteen litres left subsequently 100 years because of evaporation. Once an eau-de-vie has reached its tiptop or "point of elegance", it is transferred to a demi-john to prevent evaporation.
When it comes to food pairing, Paultes says y'all should lucifer frail cognac with light dishes. Thus, the elegant contour of the Paradis Imperial means it can exist paired with Asian roast duck. "Information technology also pairs well with chocolate" he added. "If you are having heartier food similar ruby meat, then the robust, spicier Ten.O would work well with it."
Rustling up a Hennessy-based cocktail isn't a false pas in Paultes' volume, as long every bit you go along to younger cognacs like the V.S.O.P or X.O. In fact, Hennessy'south website lists 29 cocktail recipes, all of which have been tested and approved by the tasting commission.
However, the only way to beverage the Paradis Imperial is – in Paultes' words – "keen, slap-up, neat". "You have to respect the hard work of our master blender," he said.
To order Hennessy Paradis Imperial, electronic mail clementine.wee [at] mhdsg.com () . Price upon application.
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