‘The Privileged Moment’: A Taste of Hennessy Cognac, A Question of Exclusivity
3 minutes read
Introduction by: Peter Marshall
TRunblocked.com’s contributing Editor Colleen Morgan takes a hard look at Moët Hennessy Travel Retail’s latest exclusive offer in travel retail – an invitation-only tasting experience, billed as a “new pinnacle in luxury client experience”.
But why is she left wondering just how exclusive is exclusive – and whether this concept could alienate rather than attract well-heeled consumers? Is it really ‘savoir-faire’?
Luxury in travel retail has always been about more than rare bottles on display. Increasingly, it’s about storytelling, ritual, and curated encounters that transform a purchase into something memorable.
Moët Hennessy Travel Retail is leaning into this philosophy and, at the same time, “redefining luxury engagement” with its ‘The Privileged Moment’ – an invitation-only tasting experience developed exclusively for Hennessy’s Very Important Clients (VICs).Blending heritage, storytelling and ritual, it offers high-net-worth travellers an intimate encounter with the Maison’s rare Cognac Hennessy Paradis. The Privileged Moment made its debut at the House of Hennessy boutique within Haikou International Duty-Free City in October 2024. And, according to Moët Hennessy Travel Retail, the concept has “already seen exceptional success”.
This bespoke ritual, Moët Hennessy says, “marks a significant milestone for the Maison in its pursuit of elevated, meaningful engagements with high-net-worth individuals and connoisseurs worldwide”.
However, as the programme prepares to expand across hubs such as Macau, Paris, and Dubai, it inevitably invites a wider discussion. How is exclusivity curated? Is there a risk of alienating other loyal customers or potential buyers within the travel retail channel? And what about retailer participation?
Unlocking the World of Hennessy Paradis
Let’s see how ‘The Privileged Moment’ evolves, using the Haikou experience as an example.
Invited into a dedicated VIC room, guests are encouraged to “pause, feel, and discover the soul of Hennessy Paradis”. The setting is tailored for affluent travellers seeking authenticity, craftsmanship, and connection – experiences that cannot easily be replicated at home. More than a tasting, Moët Hennessy describes it as “an immersion into the Hennessy Paradis sensorial universe.”
At the heart of the experience is a handcrafted oakwood ‘Cabinet of Curiosity’ trunk revealing Hennessy Paradis in a glorifier, surrounded by artefacts that showcase the Maison’s savoir-faire – from Copper stills, grapevine illustrations, eaux-de-vie samples, and staves of barrel wood from Cognac. An accompanying olfactory booklet adds another sensory layer, highlighting Paradis’ signature exotic fruit and floral notes.
Service rituals elevate the experience further, with Hennessy Paradis paired with complementary or contrasting foods to reveal new facets of flavour. Storytelling, rooted in the Maison’s history since 1765, is woven throughout, deepening the emotional resonance and reflecting Moët Hennessy’s stated ambition to “lead not only in product excellence but in building enduring emotional relationships with its clients”.
For a select few, the trunk conceals one last surprise: a hidden compartment holding a tasting of one of Hennessy’s most exclusive expressions. Unnamed in the brand’s statement to the press, it is clearly positioned as a pinnacle moment within the ritual.
“A rare balance of ritual, emotion and exclusivity”. Or is it?
‘The Privileged Moment’ is set to roll out across key luxury travel retail locations, “engaging both existing collectors and a new generation of discerning spirits enthusiasts”.
Moët Hennessy says, “It is this rare balance of ritual, emotion and exclusivity that sets The Privileged Moment apart in the world of travel retail – exemplifying how Moët Hennessy is elevating the role of experience with ultra-personalised, sensorial journeys that go far beyond the traditional tasting”.
Yet the very notion of exclusivity raises difficult questions. How does Moët Hennessy Travel Retail define and qualify the Very Important Clients invited to participate? What purchasing behaviours or attributes determine eligibility? And perhaps most crucially: is there a risk of alienating loyal customers who fall just outside the invisible threshold of “privilege”?
For now, Moët Hennessy Travel Retail prefers not to comment, letting the concept speak for itself. But it’s not just us at TRunblocked.com who are questioning The Privileged Moment concept.
In a LinkedIn post titled ‘The Airport Velvet Rope: Luxury’s Dangerous Bet Against its Own Customers’, Retail & Luxury Expert Ghalia Boustani describes it as “a dangerous trend where brands apply a generic, top-down playbook to a specialized environment without empathy for the human dynamics at play”.
As she points out, “In Asia-Pacific, where ‘face’ and status are currency, this might find a niche. But in Western travel hubs, it clashes with a democratic expectation: if I can afford it, I should be able to buy it. You’re not just selling a product; you’re navigating a complex social contract.
“The brands that survive the next decade won’t be the ones with the most exclusive secrets – they’ll be the ones that understand retail is fundamentally about human connection and obsessive attention to the customer’s real-world context.”
For now, the concept raises as many questions as it answers – making its evolution one to watch closely in the coming months. Will ‘the Privileged Moment’ as it is now work globally? I’m doubting it, but always ready to be proven wrong…
