Cognac, Whisky, and Tequila Brands Released Lunar New Year Bottles
The holidays are nearly upon us, but the celebration continues long after January 1 when the Chinese Lunar New Year and all its festivities begin. This year, the Lunar New Year starts on February 17, and to celebrate the occasion some major Cognac houses, as well as some scotch and tequila brands, are releasing special edition bottles, from newly designed labels to high-priced, high-end expressions.
Despite the overall slump of sales in the spirits industry, China continues to be a strong market for luxury bottlings. So it makes sense that major brands across all categories are trying to appeal to those who celebrate this very popular and traditional holiday, not just in China but around the world. Hennessy, which is perhaps the most familiar name in Cognac, is releasing a super high-end new bottling called Hennessy Zodiac Collection: The Horse Edition. This is the first edition of what will ultimately be a 12-piece set created by master blender Renaud Fillioux de Gironde. Just 50 bottles of this special blend are being released, each in a hand-painted Baccarat crystal decanter featuring London-based Chinese artist Trajan Jia’s mural “Time Flies.” The bottle also comes in a red wooden box that was produced at the Atelier des Editions Rares in Cognac and is priced at $39,000 (available through Moët Hennessy Private).
Maison Martell also has a special Lunar New Year edition available, and this actually applies to all of the expressions under the Martell lineup from VSOP to XXO. Chinese artist He Datian designed the calligraphy found on the labels of these limited-edition bottles. If you’re looking for something a bit more on the higher end, Martell also has L’Or de Jean Martell Zodiac Edition – Assemblage du Cheval. Just 500 bottles of this Cognac were released, each a Baccarat decanter with a red crystal horse head stopper, and the liquid within is an assemblage created by cellar master Christophe Valtaud that includes eaux-de-vie from other Years of the Horse. Lastly, the House of Rémy Martin collaborated with celebrated Chinese contemporary artist Xue Song on a new label design for limited-edition bottles in the brand’s XO collection. Each decanter features details from one of Song’s paintings and comes in a collectible gift box and is available for a suggested retail price of $210.
But don’t worry, there are other spirits categories that are getting into the Lunar New Year spirit if you’re not a Cognac fan. Don Julio recently introduced its 1942 Year of the Horse bottle—inside you’ll find classic 1942 tequila, but there’s a new label that, according to brand, combines “the traditional Mexican ikat rebozo pattern with the powerful symbolism of the Chinese Zodiac horse.” And if you enjoy a luxury blended scotch, check out Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of the Horse edition. This is the Blue Label you know and (possibly) love in a bottle with a new design from London-based fashion designer Robert Wun (SRP $264).
