Moet Hennessy and ambassador Jean-Michel Cochet hosted a special luncheon at The St Regis Kuala Lumpur featuring the Hennessy Paradis Impérial and a perfect meal fit for a Tsar.
Moet Hennessy Malaysia always has a few surprises up their sleeves.
Invited by Moet Hennessy to be among the first in Malaysia to savour the Hennessy Paradis Impérial, the luncheon at The St Regis Kuala Lumpur turned out to be a mini cognac masterclass to appreciate the finer nuances of the precious eaux-de-vie.
Jean-Michel Cochet, the Ambassadeur de la Maison from the House of Hennessy.
“The making of Hennessy Paradis Impérial is a precise art,” announced Jean-Michel Cochet, the Ambassadeur de la Maison from the House of Hennessy, in his introduction to this cognac that was first commissioned in 1818 by the Dowager Empress of Russia as a gift for her son, Tsar Alexander I.
“On average only 10 out of 10,000 eaux-de-vie of a given vintage are eligible for Hennessy Paradis Impérial. It is a perfect alchemy of numerous eaux-de-vie that have reached their ‘point of elegance’, when their finesse is at a pinnacle and is perfectly balanced with the controlled power they have acquired over time.”
This cognac, he added, is the product of 250 years of savoir-faire and seven generations of the talent of Yann Fillioux’s family. “It could not have been created until 2010 because not enough eaux-de-vie had yet reached their point of elegance and not enough quantities were available to ensure its continuity for the coming years.”
Designer Stéphanie Balini created a new faceted shape for the bottle, crowned with a crystal and 18-carat gold-plated cabochon.
Heirloom tomato and creamy burrata with 12-year-old balsamico, pine kernel and basil.
Grilled Corsican sea bass with ratatouille, lemon and olive oil.
The golden hue colour and precise taste sets the cognac apart from its contemporaries. On the nose, it is an explosion of floral freshness with distinct scents of jasmine. On the palate, the floral bouquet segues into a fruity mango taste followed by a tinge of smokiness.
Overall, it was a damn fine cognac to be had with good food in great company. The complex composition of Hennessy Paradis Impérial harmonised beautifully with the flavours of the heirloom tomato & creamy burrata, grilled Corsican sea bass with ratatouille and chocolate molten tart.
It was truly a splendid lunch, as intimate as it was, befitting the House’s unique savoir-faire and constant quest for innovation.
Also read: What’s Inside The St Regis Kuala Lumpur