By Reporter
Hennessy Global Brand Ambassador Benjamin Smith has held an exclusive media testing event at Kampala Serena Hotel.
Mr. Benjamin Smith met journalists and explained the origin of Cognac and its deep relation with Hennessy right from the roots of the first bottle of Hennessy that was produced by Richard Hennessy, the founder of the company that was opened up in 1765.
He held a deep media master class explaining the manufacturing of different versions of Hennessy which include; the V.S (Very Special), V.S.O.P (Very Special Old Pale) and X.O (Extra Old) versions of Hennessy which are distilled and stored according to the years they were manufactured.
Mr. Smith also dug into the deep immersion of the rich heritage, finesse and sophistication of Maison Hennessy at the Serena Hotel, Kampala as guests quenched their thirst to the rich tasting flavors of Hennessy.
He also took us through the rich history and ‘savoir-faire’ of Hennessy, a truly global adventure dipped in the history of French origin that started in 1765 as he mentioned that;
“With 1st shipments traced back to 1898, Hennessy has a long history in East Africa. Today East Africa is one of the most dynamic regions in the world for Hennessy, with exciting new occasions and venues attracting diverse consumers to the brand. The entrepreneurial energy is obvious in Uganda and blends well with the DNA of Hennessy.”- Mr Benjamin Smith stated.
The Global Brand Ambassador used the stages of a 3 course fine dining meal to let the cognac lovers sip and savor the different pearls on the Hennessy crown. Journalists were also able to learn and taste the great cognacs of Maison Hennessy; the Very Special (VS), Very Superior Old Pale (VSOP) and of course the ultimate Extra Old (X.O) accompanied by stories of how each name came to be.
WHY HAS HENNESSY COME TO UGANDA:
Mr. Benjamin Smith revealed that Hennessy has been in East Africa since early 1800’s and now they are back in Uganda to expand the brand and make it a household name as it has been in different countries allover the world including Nigeria where they have Timaya as the brand ambassador.
“We are expanding the Hennessy Family allover the continent and this being my first time in Uganda, I am here to make sure we are truly understood by people. We also want people to understand that Hennessy is not a spirit as most people thought but rather a Cognac that is distilled and preserved for perfection.
Currently we are looking at expanding our market to fit into the daily lives of Ugandans. In fact, we are also looking forward to getting full time brand ambassadors in Uganda.That’s one of the reasons I came to Uganda,”- he concluded.