Louis XIII opens up a new era for luxury celebration, for the first time introduces the two of its largest and rarest crystal decanters. India will now have the Mathusale, a 6L decanter, and the Jeroboam, a 3L decanter besides the Miniature.
Here comes the king
The liquor brand, known for being among the costliest liquors in the world, partners with two liquor retail stores, Mansionz by Living Liquidz in Bengaluru and Vaz Enterprises in Goa.
To experience the exotic spirit, Indulge attended the launch at Mansionz in Bengaluru.
Pointing towards the Mathusalem placed on a sublime tailor-made display in the centre of the store, we asked Mr Malo Le Mestre, Brand Ambassador, as to why Louis XIII Cognac is known as the king among cognacs, to which he responded, “When you taste Louis XIII later this evening, you will not just be sipping any cognac but experiencing the flavours of ingredients aged over decades and have come alive in this bottle.”
From barrel to bottle
Getting its name from King Louis XIII of France, the first batch of Louis XIII was created in 1874. Distilled from Grande Champagne grapes and porous soil of the Charente valley, it is matured in oakwood casks for several decades. It is then transferred to centennial casks used exclusively for the cognac. Once ready, Louis XIII Cognac seeps down the funnel with unique flavours including maple, smoked wood, honey and passion fruit. The exquisite blend is then poured into the unique decanters that is a replica of a metal flask that was found on the battlefield of Jarnac. The Mathusalem decanter requires a team of 20 master crystal artisans while the decanter requires no less than 11 master crystal artisans to cut, shape and paint them by hand.
“Only 200 Jeroboam decanters and 50 Mathusalem decanters are released worldwide every year, two of which sit in Bengaluru,"said Mr Malo. The bottles assigned for India are exclusive to the entire South Asian subcontinent.
Discovering the drink
As the speakers explained the bouquet, complexity, body and mouthfeel among other tasting descriptors of Louis XIII, the cognac was being served in Christophe Pillet-designed glasses.
Soon, the aroma of rose, honeysuckle, and plums followed. We were instructed to start with a drop and then enjoy the drink sip by sip. The taste notes were an amalgamation of nutty and spicy undertones of walnuts, figs, ginger and cinnamon.
The full-bodied cognac was paired with a cheese board featuring an interesting variety of cheeses, fresh fruits, dry fruits and crackers with varied tastes. Be it mild or strong, sweet or salty, everytime you sip your cognac with a snack, you will experience new flavours. Besides the cheese board that started out light and grew richer and stronger through the selection, appetisers such as Zucchini on Flatbread and Chicken Skewer Sticks also complemented the drink well.
Louis XIII is created for connoisseurs, modern Maharajas and hedonists who take pleasure in celebrating special occasions. And with just a handful of bottles available in the world, the ones available at Mansionz are very likely to be picked up in a hurry, given the exquisiteness of this sensorial journey.