The Library Bar at The Lanesborough Hotel has recently acquired the oldest known bottle of cognac in the world. Distilled in 1770, this single cask cognac dates back to the birth year of Ludwig Van Beethoven and William Wordsworth, the year that 14 year old Marie Antoinette married Louis XVI and the year Captain James Cook became the first European to discover the East coast of Australia.
The cognac is presented in a bottle calculated at about 1 liter, which features a deep bell in the base. This characteristic shape indicates the heritage of the glass, dating it back to around the turn of the 18th century. In contrast, the cork has been changed over the years ensuring quality and consistency. The 1770 Cognac is priced at £4000.00 per 50ml shot.
Originating from the region around Aigre, the cognac is believed to be from the Domaine de la Bonneville, a family run vineyard which spanned 350 hectares. The estate enjoyed a reputation for producing some of the finest cognacs in the world and supplied to a range of leading négociants including Hennessey, Saul and Augier. It is believed that one of the old négociants purchased the cognac where it was kept in large imperial bottles after cask ageing.
The color of the Cognac indicates that it has aged for around 60 years.