Hennessy Proves that Money Can’t Buy Good Taste

Since 2007, the beginning of each new year has brought a new X.O limited edition cognac from Hennessy, featuring a unique blend and a designer bottle. This year’s release, called Odyssey X.O, may just be one of the most overdesigned bottles of booze we’ve seen in some time.

Hennessy’s designs aren’t exactly minimalist to begin with, and the higher end they go, the more ornate they get. The X.O bottle is a heavy, curvaceous cornucopia covered with grapevines.

For the Odyssey X.O, multi-disciplinary artist Arik Levy (best known for his furniture design) has stuck the X.O bottle – in shades of silver, rose and gold – on top of what appears to be a piece of silver kryptonite. You can see what we mean at right.

Levy has referred to this year's X.O. limited edition design as an “uncontrolled muscle.” We think someone perhaps should have tried to control his muscles before he got his hands on the Hennessy bottle.

Hennessy also launched Hennessy V.S.O.P Helios at Dubai Duty Free in December. It’s the first of the “Privilège Collection by Hennessy,” which will release an exclusive new bottle each year. 

The V.S.O.P Helios bottle has been varnished in a layer of silver, colored to resemble pink gold, and in case you didn’t catch the reference to the sun, the box in which the bottle is packaged features rays that look like they are coming out of the bottle.

While this pink, blinged-out special edition isn’t as hideous as the Odyssey X.O., subtlety is certainly not one of its charms.

Regardless of the bottle designs, since these are Hennessy and they are limited editions, expect them to get snapped up. At least that will get them out of public view.