Hennessy’s new X.O decanter pays homage to 1947 classic

The new decanter’s look is based on a bottle designed for the company 70 years ago.

“It’s inspired by the great classic Hennessy X.O bottle designed in 1947 by my uncle,” Hennessy says in his hotel suite at East, Hong Kong, in Tai Koo Shing.

“Newson saw this bottle, which was the first Cognac bottle that wasn’t cylindrical, [and] liked it, and decided to do something different, based on the same shape.

“Newson cleaned up the design [removing the grapes and leaves of the vine from the 1947 bottle], but kept the X.O and Hennessy name, then designed all the straight lines on this limited edition bottle.”

Newson, who was born in Australia, says: “Straight lines seemed to me a more modern interpretation of what already existed. To me, the stripes really emphasise the strength of the decanter’s shape.

“When they catch the light, they highlight both the bottle and the contents, making the whole feel warmer and more tactile. Taken together, all of these design elements are meant to convey the unique, immersive experience of X.O.”

To reinforce the modern spirit of the new Hennessy X.O decanter, Newson also created a transparent gift box to dramatise the fusion between the blend and the glass.