Costly Cognac

Cognac lovers with deep pockets have a reason to celebrate. France’s Remy Martin has come to India with its high-end Louis XIII brand, which, since 1874, is the world’s only cognac to be aged for more than 100 years. In earlier days, it was served onboard the Concorde and the Orient Express.  Each bottle comes with a blend of 1,200 different cognacs, put together by Remy Martin’s sommeliers. Each bottle itself is a piece of craftsmanship. Eleven people make each crystal bottle, with a 24-carat gold neck, over a span of about two weeks.

In the US, each bottle is sold in retail for $2,000 but taxes and duties in India push the price up to as much as Rs. 2.5 lakh a bottle (in Mumbai).
 
Here’s an indication of how exclusive the brand considers itself: In December 2009, it came out with a limited edition Rare Cask, of which only 786 bottles were made. In India, one found its way to Leela Palace, in Delhi, where a peg sells for Rs. 1.5 lakh.