It should come as no surprise that Hennessy, a maison founded over 250 years ago in France’s Charente region, would have nature and trees at the core of its heart. After all, cognac is the product of a symbiotic and synergistic relationship between time and the finest elements of nature. Without the best grapes, the purest water and fine, old oak, sourced from only the forests of Limousin or Troncais, there would be no Hennessy cognac.

In this light, Hennessy Malaysia chooses to highlight the delicate synergy between Hennessy Paradis, its rarest expression of cognac, and the country’s endangered rainforests. In conjunction with its latest In Good Company (IGC) dinners, the company has teamed up with the Tropical Rainforest Conservation & Research Centre (TRCRC) to plant one dipterocarp tree for every bottle of Hennessy Paradis sold. To those less familiar with the study of dendrology, the Dipterocarpaceae family of trees dominates 80% of Malaysian rainforests, of which 93 species are considered threatened in the country. Serving as a poignant reminder of how good things are oftentimes hard to come by, this act of camaraderie is also a call to action to save and preserve what is precious for future generations while synchronising it with Hennessy’s pillars of celebrating friendship, cherishing life and honouring legacy.

The first IGC dinner, one of a multiple series, was held recently at Beta KL, the celebrated contemporary Malaysian restaurant helmed by Chef Raymond Tham. Thomas Bouleuc, managing director of Moet Hennessy Diageo (MHD) Malaysia and Singapore, was the gracious host to an intimate group of guests, who naturally included a TRCRC representative — project manager Reuben Durairatnam.

“Hennessy Paradis is named for the Hennessy Founder’s Cellar, where only the finest, rarest and oldest eaux-de-vie are kept,” said Bouleuc. “It is a cognac of remarkable depth and elegance comprising 100 eaux-de-vie aged for up to 130 years. The synergy in scarcity and the broader theme of preservation was what led us to pursue this partnership with TRCRC. IGC dinners are a great opportunity to combine remarkable and memorable experiences with a deeper connection to what matters.”

In appreciation of Hennessy’s mission and its support of Malaysia’s rainforests and TRCRC, Durairatnam had this to say: “We are delighted to be partnering with a brand like Hennessy that has shown it cares about the pressing issues that concern our rainforests. As an organisation, the conservation and preservation of threatened tropical rainforest tree species is at the core of our mission, and the history behind Hennessy Paradis draws parallels in preservation and scarcity too. The dipterocarp trees that we will be planting are unfortunately commonly subject to logging and land-use changes, which puts them under great threat. We’re excited that this partnership with Hennessy is aligned with our mission of preserving tropical rainforest plant species throughout Malaysia.”

Those interested to support this noble cause may do so by purchasing a bottle of Hennessy Paradis and redeeming a seat to one of the IGC dinners. Rest assured, each IGC dinner will be an exquisite gastronomical experience in the presence of like-minded individuals who appreciate scarcity and preservation. These dinners will run until the end of 2022.