Three ages, three characters, one whisky - Special Vatting is Michel Couvreur's proof that a good vatting can add up to more than its parts.
Expert's description
Michel Couvreur Special Vatting is a Malt Whisky matured in sherry casks and bottled at 45 percent.
The vatting combines three malt whiskies of different age and style: 5 percent 11 year old peated malt, 45 percent 12 year old light malt, and 50 percent 20 year old dark sherry malt. The combination gives a whisky with far greater complexity than a single age statement could hold, and is a clear example of Michel Couvreur's talent for composing rather than simply bottling.
Michel Couvreur began as a wine merchant in Burgundy in 1951 and only found whisky in 1978. Since then, fresh filling - refilling sherry casks the same day they're emptied - has been his signature, and he claimed a 4-5 year old whisky matured this way could rival a 30 year old aged in used casks.
Tasting notes
Nose
The nose offers a whisper of peat under a blanket of sherry, dried fruit and a warm caramel sweetness from the oldest parts of the vatting.
Palate
The palate is deep and layered, with sherry and dark chocolate up front, a touch of smoke in the middle, and a light, bright sweetness tying it all together.
Finish
The finish is long, with lingering notes of dried raisins, a hint of smoke and a last warmth of oak.
Specifications
Name: Special Vatting
Distillery: Michel Couvreur
Region/Country: France
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 11-20 years
ABV: 45 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Special Vatting
Flavour profile
Complex · Sherry-matured · Lightly peated · Deep
Did you know?
The 20 year old component of the vatting has matured long enough to count as a mature, aged whisky in its own right - yet it makes up only half of the bottle, the rest coming from far younger casks.
