Michel Couvreur Intravaganza

Michel Couvreur virtual tasting, 21 October 2021. Whisky #1 Nose: There is a rubbery note on the initial nosing but it blows off almost immediately leaving a fresh, waxy, cereal, malty nose that is good but betrays the youth of the whisky. Palate: A hot, spicy entry that is a little rough around the edges. It turns grassy-sweet in the development but remains spicy and particularly bright on the palate. There is an almost effervescent quality to it. Finish: Medium/short. The whisky is cereal-focused throughout although some fruity notes develop towards the end. I have not investigated Michel Couvreur whiskies previously but a recent virtual tasting event based on 5 expressions piqued my interest. This Intravaganza is a core-range product that is matured for 3-4 years in moscatel and oloroso casks which lend it a sharp, fizzy young oak quality. It improves greatly after resting in the glass for a while but never achieves any sort of stature. This is an OK but average young malt whisky. It is undeniably clean and crisp but it fairly screams its youth to the world. The casks used are obviously of high quality but I wish the juice was left to stew in them for about 3-5 more years. It’s also playing fast and loose with accepted terminology for them to call this “cask strength” whisky when it is a vatting reduced to exactly 50% abv. This is highly reminiscent of several Scottish single malts that are often considered to be “starting” malts – Glenfiddich 12, Glenmorangie Original, Glen Grant 12, etc. The problem is that this is about twice the price and at that cost it is hard to recommend. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)