Michel Couvreur Overaged Malt Whisky

May 13

Michel Couvreur is more known for their winemaking than their whisky, but they’re just at a tipping point. More and more, Couvreur is sourcing whisky from Scotland and aging them, blending them, and doing whatever else to them in France and releasing them as Scotch whisky from France.

The weird thing? They’re really good. Yes, you will likely cut yourself opening the cork (waxed and corked like a wine bottle for some reason), and you’ll seal it like a wine bottle, but in between those annoyances you’ll enjoy some delicious, peaty Scotch that’s well-blended and balanced.

Burgundy-based Couvreur went against the grain (no pun intended) when he decided to jump into the whisky business in 1978. As most whisky makers will tell you, at least the majority of flavor comes from the oak cask. Many will tell you as high as 70-80% of the final flavor comes from the wood. Coming from the wine world, Couvreur certainly was well-positioned to understand how wood could influence the liquid inside.

Whereas whisky generally goes by char levels when designing oak casks for the liquid, wine makers generally refrain from char in favor of toasting. Why? the wine will almost surely be in the oak for a shorter time than whisky would, meaning they want the toasted, lightly expanded wood rather than a hard char that might overtake a young wine.

Though Couvreur himself passed away in 2013, his son-in-law and former cellar master have continued his legacy, producing excellent blends aged in Burgundian cellars. Thanks to my cousin David for recommending this bottle - it took me two years to buy one, but it won’t take me nearly that long to finish it and get another.

Michel Couvreur Overaged Malt Whisky: Specs

Classification: Scottish whiskies aged in sherry oak and bottled in French Burgundian caves.

Origin: Undisclosed

Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: 12 Years Old

Location: Distilled and Aged in Scotland, Further Aged in France

Michel Couvreur Overaged Malt Whisky Price: $65

Official Website

Michel Couvreur Overaged Malt Whisky Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Orange honey. Medium rims, thin legs.

Nose: Rich malt and maple syrup - delicious! Sweet right off the bat. Smells like it will be richer than the proof would suggest. There’s several malt profiles here: a richer unseated Islay, a highland malt, and some others, too. The sherry influence is clear from the richness and the building dark red fruits, though there’s no sherry spice.

Palate: Malt power - I can’t decide if I like the mixed malts or if they’re fighting each other. Proof heat rolls in that belies the actual proof level. Some smoky elements in the background - I think Isley-style but it’s not so clear that I could rule out an Orkney/Islands-style smoke either. It is delicious either way. Mouthfeel isn’t as rich as the nose suggests, but it’s still quite good, medium-bodied, oily, velvety, lets the smoke waft into the corners of my mouth.

Finish: Smoky and peaty in a delicate way. The proof from the palate dissipates immediately and the malt sweetness returns, albeit cut slightly by some other flavor…I would almost say sweet charred meat, like the smoke ring on a brisket or pulled pork. Medium-length.

Overall: I found this interesting at first, unsure what to make of it. As I tasted and the flavors kept bouncing around, I liked it more and more. The gentle application of peated malt allows for lots of different flavors to reveal themselves. This is a genuinely intriguing whisky that makes you think. I don’t get the cork and I think the whole “bottled in French Burgundian caves” bit is a prime example of marketing, but there’s no denying that the actual whisky is a gem and should be tried by malt-lovers everywhere.

Final Rating: 8.4

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)