Michel Couvreur’s Overaged Malt is a vatted malt whisky composed of over fifty different single malts, aged between 12 and 27 years, and bottled at 43% ABV. Though rooted in Scotch tradition, its journey takes an unconventional detour through Burgundy, where it matures in damp, sherry-seasoned cellars carved into the French countryside. Pedro Ximénez casks take centre stage in this slow, contemplative maturation process, lending a rich and rounded character without the use of chill filtration or added colouring.

The result is a whisky of striking individuality. On the nose, it offers a bouquet of dried flowers, tobacco, and almond, all softened by hints of old Malaga and a whisper of peat smoke. The palate follows with a gentle sherry sweetness such as figs, raisins, and honey, balanced by vanilla, oak spice, and a trace of coastal salinity. A lingering finish reveals smoked nuts, dark chocolate, and a subtle dryness reminiscent of well-aged wood and earth.

This is a whisky made for the patient drinker, one who relishes detail over dazzle. It speaks less of marketing polish and more of cellarmaster intuition, the slow breath of cask and cave. Overaged Malt does not shout; it reflects, beckoning one to return again and again for another sip of its quiet complexity.