Top 10 most beautiful Cognac bottles
While the age-old expression “it’s what’s on the inside that counts” also applies to Cognac, it is a category which has some of the most beautiful, extravagant and indeed expensive bottles in the business.
Hardy Printemps is among our list of the top 10 most beautiful Cognac bottlesCognac is renowned as the spirit of luxury, where old, perfectly crafted blends of eau de vie fetches tens of thousands of pounds. But sometimes adding to this cost is the meticulously crafted and stunningly beautiful decanters they come bottled in.
Some brands such as Martell convey their contemporary positioning with bottles which merge the worlds of spirits and modern art while other such as Hine create traditional, though equally beautiful crystal decanters.
Most are launched in limited quantities to mark a special occasion and are undoubtedly carry a sky-high price, from £1,000 to £40,000.
Click through the following pages to discover our pick of the top 10 most beautiful Cognac bottles, listed in no particular order. If you have a favourite that has been overlooked, let us know by leaving a comment below.
L’Or de Jean Martell
Designed to appeal to affluent Cognac Connoisseurs, this L’Or de Jean Martell bottle has been crafted by French crystal-makers Cristal de Sèvres and is displayed in a luxurious gift box by French interior architect and designer Eric Gizard.
Made from a blend of over 400 rare eau de vie, including some aged for over 100 years, the decanter carries an RRP of US$1,070.
L’Art de Martell
Another one from Cognac house Martell, L’Art de Martell, costing £4,640, is said to combine contemporary art and traditional glassware.
Coveted by both history and Cognac enthusiasts, the bottling was launched in 1997 to commemorate the retrocession of Hong Kong to China.
The limited edition glass decanter, of which there are only 1997 in the world, was created by French design house Daum.
Delamain de Voyage
Produced by Cognac house Delamain, the Delamain de Voyage bottle is presented in a Baccarat decanter itself sat inside a beautiful gift box styled after an old school camera’s bellows.
The glass demijohns housed inside hold liquid which is approaching the centenary of its distillation. Only 500 bottlings were made available at an RRP of £5,000.
Hardy le Printemps
Maison Hardy has teamed up with bespoke crystal maker Lalique to create a unique carafe to house a rare Cognac.
The Printemps carafe alludes to the perfume bottles created by René Lalique in the early 20th century and features soft curves on the main body and an extravagant crystal stopper, inlaid with ‘almond-green tints’.
Each carafe, which is placed in a circular, front-opening white pastel leather case, contains a blend of small batch Grande Champagne, partitioned off by Armand Hardy at the end of the Second World War.
Hine Talent
This special edition of Hine’s Triomphe Cognac was launched to celebrate the arrival of the Cognac House’s founder, Thomas Hine, in France.
It features a beautiful, ornate and intricately detailed Baccarat crystal decanter bearing an image of a stag. The set comes with four crystal glasses packaged in an ebony and mahogany cigar humidor.
Camus Cognac Cuvee
Designed by famous French artist Serge Mansau, this Cognac Cuvee is also bottled in a striking Baccarat crystal decanter.
The Cognac comes in five different editions, the last of which was launched to celebrate the company’s 150th anniversary. Only 1,492 were made available for sale at a price of US$13,500.
Cognac Frapin Cuvee 1888
This special edition Cognac Frapin is presented in an extravagant crystal decanter with a spiral of gold thread and a 24-carat gold stopper, which all together gives the bottle a look of a spinning top.
It even comes in a luxurious wooden box with a gilded fob watch containing a block of Pierre Frapin perfume.
Frapin Cuvée 1888 honours company founder Piere Frapin, who in 1888 selected the cuvee that won a Gold Medal at the World Fair in Paris.
Hine 250
Baccarat crystal features once again in this list of the most beautiful Cognac bottles, this time in Hine’s special edition bottling launched to celebrate the house’s 250th anniversary.
The house releases just 250 bottles of a single barrel Grande Champagne Cognac laid down in Hine’s family reserve in 1953.
The decanter itself is made from Baccarat crystal in an understated design reminiscent of a roughly-cut diamond. It is presented in an opulent wooden case designed like a luxury jewellery box.
Martell Premier Voyage
This limited edition Cognac was launched by Martell just last month to commemorate its 300th anniversary.
Martell Premier Voyage is bottled in a Sèvres crystal decanter and is accompanied by a minimalist steel artwork by French artist Bernar Venet. The steel arches are said to represent the three centuries of the brand’s existence.
Each bottle was individually numbered and signed and carries an RRP of €10,000.
Rémy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl
This Rémy Martin jeroboam – again, designed by Baccarat and hand-blown from gothic black crystal – it a tribute to the signature Louis XIII decanter modeled on a flask found in Cognac during the sixteenth century.
Made using a blend of 1200 eaux de vie aged between 40-100 years in oak barrels, only 786 decanters were made – equal to the amount of Cognac contained within a single tierçon. It costs about £40,000.
