The price of luxury

When does luxury cross the line into extravagance and is there a point at which indulgence becomes over-indulgence? If such a point exists, the latest “super-luxury cognac” from Rémy Martin is close to reaching it.

Already famous for making the outrageously expensive Louis XIII—the outrage is only that more people will never get to enjoy a taste of this liquid silk—the family has issued just 786 bottles of a special release, Louis XIII Black Pearl.

The cognac comes from a single barrel of the family’s personal reserve and each of the hand-blown, Baccarat carafes—which use glass specially designed to have a metallic sheen—will be numbered.

To get your hands on one means parting with £5,000 in a shop, although the chances of getting hold of one are slim. You’ll have a better chance of finding it in a bar, although here the price could range from £500 a glass in a hotel (try the Sofitel St James) to close to £900 in certain clubs. If you decide to buy the whole decanter in a bar you’ll need to part with about £10,000.

Meanwhile, those keen to really splash out on cognac could do worse than check out the Lanesborough’s Library Bar. Well known for its extensive cognac collection, the bar has just acquired one of the oldest and rarest cognacs in the world—a Cognac Grande Champagne Hardy 1777—a 50ml serving of which is yours for a mere £3,000. The Lanesborough has also teamed up with specialists from Brandyclassics to organise a series of cognac tastings. Tickets, which include a night in the Apsley suite, start at £2,500.