It is safe to say that Maurice Hennessy is pretty famous, even among those who know nothing about cognac. “When people realise what my name is, they always ask if I make the cognac,” he says with a smile. While he isn’t involved directly in the distillation of the famous liquor, Maurice has plenty of its history running in his blood, being part of the family that founded the cognac maker in 1765. It was also his namesake who created the iconic Hennessy X.O all the way back in 1870.
We have a lot of tradition which we have kept – after all, we have had the same family of master blenders for eight generations – Maurice Hennessy
Maurice’s own story in Hennessy began in 1975, serving in various roles before becoming the brand’s ambassador, travelling around the world to share stories of Hennessy and cognac. It is a part he continues to play even though, as he says, he is now retired. “But, sometimes, Hennessy would tell me that there’s an old customer who would like to meet up or there’s a special event where the attendance of a Mr Hennessy would be a great help, and I will come,” he smiles. “You don’t really retire from Hennessy.”
Keeping Traditions Alive
While it’s now part of the LVMH conglomerate, the house of Hennessy remains very much what it has always been – not a family business, per se, but run along very similar lines, with a dedication to craftsmanship and tradition. It is this, Maurice says, that has ensured Hennessy continues to be among the very best at what it does. While sales figures do reflect the popularity of Hennessy, Maurice points to something less prosaic: “We have a lot of tradition which we have kept – after all, we have had the same family of master blenders for eight generations.”
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Maurice himself knows three of the master blenders and understands how important the continuity is for Hennessy. “There’s something about having a family of master blenders brought up along with the vineyard, with the distillation… I mean, Renaud’s (Fillioux de Gironde, Hennessy’s current master blender) mother herself was a distiller, so he was brought up in a distillery. He grew up with his uncle (Yann Fillioux, Hennessy’s seventh master blender), who talked about barrels of cognac, aging and tasting. It something you don’t learn in school. It’s something you live.”
Tradition aside, Hennessy has also slipped into popular consciousness, adds Patrick Madendjian, Managing Director of Moët Hennessy Diageo Malaysia & Singapore. “Very often, when people drink Hennessy, they don’t think it’s cognac – it’s Hennessy and it’s part of their culture. In the US, it’s very much part of the hip hop culture, while in Asia, Hennessy is linked with success – different but still very much part of the culture.” For Madendjian, Hennessy has the ability to become culturally relevant and part of the culture of everywhere it has gone. “It sits on its own – it defines cognac and yet is so much bigger than that.”
We have a rich history and I feel Hennessy’s appeal has been both timeless and universal – Patrick Madendjian
While Hennessy’s position as the cognac of choice might seem inexorable, the house continuously keeps an eye out for the future. That supply continues, inevitably, to be outstripped by demand is, as Madendjian says, a cyclical episode. “Our own history tells us that for every period of prosperity, a crisis is around the corner. The situation will normalise, but you need to be prepared for the future.”
Timeless and Universal
Maurice also sees climate change as a challenge for the house. “I have my own vineyard, so I have already seen how small changes can make a big difference over time. A warmer summer, for example, might mean wine that is more alcoholic but less acidic. And it is the acidity that keeps the wine over winter as we don’t add sulphur to it. So, it’ll be a bit of a problem when we get wine with less acidity. It isn’t a problem yet, but we need to research into varietals that will create acidity and will still be good for the spirit to make cognac.”
Ultimately, Madendjian says, everything Hennessy does would be meaningless if it cannot continue to remain relevant to the consumer. “We have a rich history and I feel Hennessy’s appeal has been both timeless and universal – the brand is, literally, at home everywhere. Our role is to ensure that Hennessy remains timeless and universal.”
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To this end, Hennessy has undertaken various initiatives to ensure its continuous appeal. Locally, Hennessy has recently launched Greatness is an Odyssey, a campaign that celebrates the exceptional quality of outstanding leadership among the younger generation of entrepreneurs across Malaysia. Five personalities, all winners of the ACCCIM Outstanding Young Entrepreneurs Model Award, will host business sessions across the country where they will share the secrets to their success and inspire the next generation of Malaysian business leaders with Hennessy X.O.
“We want to reposition Hennessy X.O in Malaysia as the symbol or the flagship of success of the business community. We’re very excited about this campaign because we want to champion locally successful business people, and we want to inspire them with the story of Richard Hennessy, who in 1765 had a vision that we’re still only fulfilling now.”
