Louis XIII Black Pearl AHD

Louis XIII has recently unveiled the Louis XIII Black Pearl AHD – paying tribute to Remy Martin’s former chairman, Andre Heriard Dubreuil (abbreviated to AHD), who was born a century years ago. This special edition comes in a limited 1,498 numbered 35 cl steel-coloured decanters, each containing a rare blend of Louis XIII cognac retrieved from a single tiercon – a cask designed for carriage of cognac on horse-drawn carts – from deep within the cellar Andre Heriard Dubreuil.

This particular cellar is no ordinary one. Blackened walls make for a darker setting than most. The air here is crisp, yet a palpable moisture sits in the air, accentuating the scent of undergrowth, moss and tree bark from the forest carpet.

Chalky walls in the alcove in the family reserve set the stage for the rare blend, giving rise to fresh, floral and strong earthy aromas, while notes of dried roses, honey, myrrh, cigar box, plum, honeysuckle, leather, figs and passionfruit gently relent to the smell of wet chalk and undergrowth, leaving pure, unperturbed elegance in their wake.

(Related: Louis XIII food pairing: taste the prized Cognac five different ways)

Even the decanter is nothing shy of brazen sophistication. Akin to others in the Black Pearl collection, its shape was inspired by a 16th-century royal flask found on the battlefield of Jarnac. Acquired by Paul-Emile Remy Martin himself, the intricate, meticulous design was entrusted to only the most skilled master craftsman the likes of Baccarat.

The stunning mouth-blown crystal complemented by luminous palladium plating on the Black Pearl AHD’s decanter reflects the light, scattering it in beautiful fragments of silver, black and anthracite – making quite the visual showpiece.

Available at Louis XIII.

(Related: Object of desire: Hennessy Paradis Imperial)