Couvreur is back!

Many of you have been asking for the French Scotch in the angular bottles, and they are back.
  
They are the whiskies I hope do not get picked up on the radar of those who have inflated the prices of bourbon, among other things. They are still an amazing value and are truly whiskies for wine drinkers, with nuance and balance to match the soothing richness.
 
The Couvreur line of whiskies, in essence, is Scotch that is aged in Burgundy in old Sherry casks. This is a unique approach that was set up by the late Michel Couvreur, a Belgian-born Scotch broker who began collecting rare old Sherry butts in Spain that are prized for aging Scotch. He then built a cellar in Burgundy to merge his barrel collection with his highly tuned skills in finding exceptional raw whisky bases in Scotland.

Shop Couvreur Whiskies

Determined to fight against modernization and cost-cutting the in Scotch industry, Couvreur went about saving details of traditional Scotch production that were going by the wayside. He became an expert on cereals, heirloom grains, and tracking down old, rare, expensive sherry butts in Spain that took immeasurable amounts of time and significant money. In the 1970s he started to dig the beginnings of a labyrinthine cellar in the hills of Burgundy. He aged whisky from Scotland in hard-to-find barrels from the Sherry region of Spain. 

The barrels were worth the hunt because Courvreur believed that the quality of what had been in the barrel—usually sherry but even Vin Jaune—was responsible for 90% of the success of a whisky later aged in that same barrel. So it's no wonder most of the people I've run across who know Couvreur work in the wine industry. On top of what I described above, there's the long-term aging, obsessively tasting and blending before bottling, so that each whisky has a sense of balance and elegance that is superior to anything I've come across. The layers unfold slowly and express a deep range of flavors, though none of them ever seem to dominate and disrupt the harmony.
 
Gift it to yourself, you might need it this December. Or if you're feeling generous gift it to a loved one instead.
 

Cheers, 

Jonathan Kemp 

Please note: we are not permitted by law to ship spirits outside of New York state 
Image of Michel Couvreur 'The Unique Whisky'
Michel Couvreur 'The Unique Whisky'
$42.00
A blended whisky, malted and un-malted barley, aged four years in older whisky casks. Even this younger blended bottling shows off the clean, elegant balance that Couvreur pulls off so well. Surprisingly soft and fruity, with a touch of grainy edge that never feels hot. A lighter whisky with lots of character. JK
Shop now
Image of Michel Couvreur 'Overaged' 12 Year Old Malt Scotch Whisky
Michel Couvreur 'Overaged' 12 Year Old Malt Scotch Whisky
$72.00
This was my first introduction to Couvreur's whisky and it made me a convert immediately. Deep and rich aromas from extended aging in casks originally used for Pedro-Ximenez. Very pleasurable and viscous, with a center of toffee and caramel and a halo of smoky brine. It never loses a feeling of smooth, delicious harmony. It's still what I reach for when I want a nice treat after dinner, and it's probably the most universally-loved of the Couvreur lineup. Aged for a minimum of 12 years. JK
Shop now
Image of Michel Couvreur 'The Unexpected' No. 2 Single Malt Whisky
Michel Couvreur 'The Unexpected' No. 2 Single Malt Whisky
$119.00
This is 'unexpected' because it is actually 100% French. The whisky comes from the sadly now defunct Domaine des Hautes Glaces distillery in the Isère that was making waves with it's exceptional French whisky made from all French grains. Now it is getting the Couvreur treatment to great effect, aging for 10 years in Oloroso barrels. As delicious as it sounds. JK
Shop now

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published

This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.