Michel Couvreur Vin Jaune 8 Year Old Single Malt French Whisky (500ml)

Once again, Michel Couvreur has worked his own peculiar brand of magic on a Scottish malt, this one distilled on the 10th July 2008 and matured for its full period in Jura vin Juane casks (a white wine produced from Savagnin in the Jura region of Eastern France, tasting similar to fino Sherry). Barrels were sourced from Domaine Bénédicte and Stéphane Tissot and delivered to Couvreur's Burgundy cellars without rinsing, partly accounting for the remarkable wine pick up in this malt.

Tasting note: [from a 20ml sample] Cloudy pale gold, clearly unfiltered. Issues delightful, lifted notes of butterscotch, boiled lollies and sweet malt. Later passes detect dates and sultanas with uncanny definition. Lean and mildly acidic on entry. Middle stage seems oddly dilute. Rallies at the finish with a superb, intense salty/nutty burst redolent of extra-aged amontillado sherry. Great length. Freakish whisky. 43% Alc./Vol.