Courvoisier, last night, revealed its first travel retail exclusive cognacs – from a collection called Le Voyage de Napoleon which will make its debut in the duty free and travel retail channel with World Duty Free Group from 20 February.

Maxxium Travel Retail (MTR) – the joint venture between Beam Inc and The Edrington Group – has sealed the deal at London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 for a period of four weeks. From 1 April the product will be rolled out across Europe.

To mark the T5 launch, a specially-created bar based on the brand’s Paradis cellar, where Courvoisier’s finest and rarest cognacs are stored and aged, will be installed in the WDFG store. A key function of the bar will be to alert passengers to the mixability of the Voyage de Napoleon collection of VS, VSOP, and XO cognacs (left), in cocktails for example.

Speaking to media at the unveiling at Gauthier Soho in London – where Courvoisier’s Master Blender and General Manager, Patrice Pinet, was the host – David Miles (right), Maxxium’s Mixxit Manager, described the VS, in particular, as having “a body that stands up to other flavours but still has enough delicacy for mixing”.

The VS (RRP €36/$48.52) and VSOP (RRP €55/$74.13) are both new blends: batch-produced from 50 wine growers in the Fin Bois Cru with a double-barrel aging process for a smooth and full-bodied flavour in the former case; and the latter combining spirits from the four best crus in the Cognac region, including a 12-year-old from the smallest, most exclusive Borderies cru.

The XO (RRP €129/$173.88) is a very old blend of well-matured cognacs from the Grande Champagne cru, along with selected aged spirit from the Petite Champagne and Borderies crus “consistently recognised as one of the finest XOs in the world” says Courvoisier.

BROADENING COGNAC’S APPEAL

For travel retail, the collection is presented in opulent packaging inspired by the journeys of Napoleon, a figure intrinsically linked to Courvoisier. Featuring a linear design incorporating gold, burgundy and black across the range, the packaging highlights the star that the French conqueror called upon for luck at the start of each battle. The symbol later became central to the design of the Légion d’Honneur, the French military order established by Napoleon.

“Le Voyage de Napoleon will appeal to discerning drinkers as it offers Courvoisier loyalists a unique set of our key expressions across the price range, exclusive to this market,” says Glen Williams (left) Managing Director at MTR, which is responsible for the marketing and distribution of its shareholders’ brands in most of European DF&TR.

“Travel retail is an important channel for Courvoisier and provides a great platform to showcase the brand to a global audience. Many passengers look for premium brands with a point of difference to those found in domestic markets and the luxurious presentation of this collection caters for this demand.”

Commenting on the deal, World Duty Free Group’s UK Buying Manager for Liquor, Nigel Sandals, says: “Courvoisier epitomises luxury and this travel retail range is sure to be very well received, both as an exclusive gifting solution, and as a ‘must-have’ addition to enthusiasts’ collections.”

Courvoisier, which has been making cognac since the reign of Napoleon more than 200 years ago, is the only cognac house to be awarded The Prestige de la France – the highest accolade for quality in France.

To watch a video about the making of Le Voyage de Napoleon travel retail collection click here.