Nothing could ever replace visiting your favorite Cognac house and being invited to a special tasting down in the cellar. Surrounded by thousands of barrels, some containing liquid from before your grandparents were born, your senses would be just as overwhelmed by the romance and history of the setting as by what was in your glass. But for Baptiste Loiseau, Cellar Master of LOUIS XIII, there was one part of this experience he thought he could recreate without needing to travel all the way to France: the cellar temperature of 55.4°F.
That’s the inspiration for the new limited release ‘Black Pearl: Tribute to the Birthplace of LOUIS XIII.’ At first glance, it appears to be the standard LOUIS XIII crystal decanter in a new, elegant display case — where a rounded window on the square front lets you see your prized bottle. But this case is actually a dedicated cooling cellar that keeps the bottle at a minimum temperature of 55.4°F, just like you would find inside the cellars in Le Grollet. Forget that mini-fridge of beer by your recliner — put this up at your home bar, and you’ve reached the Mount Everest of spirits display.
The cognac inside the decanter is not the regular LOUIS XIII, but a special blend Loiseau crafted in one tierçon that he thought showed off the characteristics best experienced at the colder temperature. “The idea was for people to explore all the facets of the cognac — from the first sip when it is cooled and then taste the changes as it rises to room temperature,” says Loiseau. “It starts out with more bitterness, which I like on the approach. And then there is the evolution from something darker to lighter. It gains all the elegance and fullness along the way.”
LOUIS XIII has offered a few ‘Rare Cask’ releases, but Loiseau wants to emphasize the Black Pearl is something very different. “A rare cask is something that you discover in the cellar. It’s a gift. It’s a cask so different and special that you don’t want to blend it with others,” says Loiseau. “You just follow the evolution to decide when it will be ready. The Black Pearl was something I specifically crafted for this temperature experience.”
The cooling cellar works different from a small fridge. Inside the case, the decanter sits on a cooling plate that lowers the temperature from the bottom up. “We don’t want all the liquid to be at the same temperature,” says Loiseau. “So you use the included pipette and it collects the cognac from the bottom of the decanter, and that’s how to pour it into your glass.”
While many collectors will slowly sip this rare Black Pearl release over years, if not decades, Loiseau sees one great use for the cooling cellar once that liquid is gone. “You can put your classic LOUIS XIII decanter inside as well, and taste it at the cooler temperature,” says Loiseau. “It will be the same aromatic profile and reinforce all the nuttiness that you have traditionally. But you can experience all the changes as it warms. The idea is always to play.”
The Black Pearl: Tribute to the Birthplace Of LOUIS XIII is limited to 398 decanters, and comes with the cooling cellar, two “Facets of LOUIS XIII” crystal glasses and a pipette. The set retails for $28,000 and is available through the website www.louisxiii-cognac.com. Feeling a little short on funds? A few select places in New York, California, Texas and Las Vegas will soon offer a by-the-glass experience.
