Burgundy

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Michel Couvreur Special Vatting Peaty Malt Whisky. Burgundy, France. ABV: 45.00%. Tasted at Lafayette.

Colour: Dark caramel.

Nose: Honey, but not super sweet.

Palate: Semi-sweet peat. Paddle pop stick on your tongue when the doctor asks you to stick out your tongue and say “ahhhh”. Almost a bit soapy.

Finish: A medium quite drying finish, front of the palate.

Comments: Not that great, especially compared to other Michel Couvreur expressions I’ve tried this year like the Blossoming Auld Sherried Single Malt or the Candid Malt Whisky.

 

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Michel Couvreur Blossoming Auld Sherried Single Malt. Burgundy, France. Tasted at Lafayette. $35

Colour: Burnished copper.

Nose: Buttery toffee, raisins, very soft oak. Fantastic nose.

Palate: Creamy, rich flavours, lots of candied dried fruits but not overly sweet. Creme brûlée. Not a heap of warmth, but just enough.

Finish: Port flavours, cocoa, slight tobacco notes in the fade.

Comments: Reminds me a little of the Limeburners Barrel M93 that I tried (and loved) recently. This is the fourth Michel Couvreur expression I’ve tasted so far, I can safely say that apart from the Cleararch anomaly the others are the real deal. Another whisky with whom I could quite happily settle in and have a lengthy conversation.

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Michel Couvreur Candid Malt Whisky. Burgundy, France. ABV: 49.00%. Tasted at Lafayette.

Colour: Deep amber.

Nose: Smokey, meaty, yet thick molasses notes punctuating the olfactory profile. That last bit was an attempt to sound as wanky as possible, think I succeeded.

Palate: Big and thick mouthfeel, almost furry. Smoke all over the place, like sweet hickory BBQ sauce slathered all over some baby back ribs.

Finish: Very long. Giles got beef jerky, the longer it goes the more jerky you get.

Comments: Surprising – I certainly wasn’t expecting such a meaty, smokey and intense whisky given my tasting of two other Michel Couvreur whiskies (the Overaged and Clearach single malts). This was fantastic, I could drink this all night. It’s so tasty it almost makes you want to lick the day off your fingers like you would after devouring that juicy rack of BBQ pork ribs.

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Michel Couvreur Clearach 3 Year Old Single Malt. Burgundy, France. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at Lafayette, $18.

Colour: Cloudy apple.

Nose: Not the most pleasant nose, a little like cachaça. A little like a strong hard cheese.

Palate: A couple of grassy notes; definitely a young whisky. Not a lot of depth of flavour, bit more alcohol heat but not a burn – it’s just not a smooth whisky to drink.

Finish: Short on flavour, long on tang.

Comments: Some strange flavours and particularly scents on the nose, would not have picked that it had spent its 3 years maturing in Pedro Ximenez casks.  I didn’t really enjoy this one that much, quite disappointed actually given my expectations had been set high by how much I enjoyed the Michel Couvreur Overaged Single Malt.