Michel Couvreur Very Sherried 27 Year Old Single Malt French Whisky (500ml)

In something of a personal crusade, Michel Couvreur settled in Bouze-les-Beaune (close to the Burgundian town of Beaune, France), where he opened a customs bonded cellar and began selecting his own sherry casks (Pedro Ximenez and Palomino) from the Andalusia region of Spain. Some readers will be aware, since the 1970's, sherry ceased to be shipped to UK in wood. Whisky producers have now to go and select their casks at sherry bodegas, paying a premium on top of transport costs. It's partly for this reason that Michel Couvreur's cellar is located in Burgundy, half-way between Scotland and Andalusia, with straight motorways from Jerez de la Frontera to Beaune.

Couvreur's "Scotch" starts out in Scotland as bulk a.k.a.“clearach” (a high proof distillate) which is transferred to his humid cellar in Bouze-les-Beaune to be aged in small sherry casks that have been impregnated with 25 years aging via traditional soleras. All required dilutions are accomplished with bottled water from Scotland. Total production is about 50,000 bottles or 4,000 cases annually. A small selection of these artisan matured spirits has just arrived in Australia at quite reasonable prices, given the going rates at other whisky specialists overseas.

This ultra rare 27 year old is super-sherried in the best way imaginable, recalling some of the most sherry-heavy (and expensive) drams we've ever tasted. Distilled in 1984 in Scotland then matured in sweet sherry casks in France.

Tasting note: Remarkable deep sienna brown with gold ochre edges and some sediment evident. Fabulous bouquet - excites with heady scents of toasted almonds, super-aged tawny/Amontillado Sherry, cigar box, new leather, rancio and is almost like top notch Armagnac after extra exposure. Delicate entry is bittersweet and marzipan-like at mid palate with faint sulphur undertones (matchbox / pencil rubber). Finish turns sensationally nutty / almond biscotti-like with walnuts, dried fruits, ginger biscuit and mildly bitter chocolate in the aftertaste. Concludes woody, gently spicy, fragile, understated yet long, long, long. An astonishing effort! 48% Alc./Vol.