Michel Couvreur 'Blossoming Auld Sherried'

It had a rich and intense sherry flavor. Michel Couvreur 'Blossoming Auld Sherried' 45% Sherry Casks The aroma is dominated by a smooth and strong sherry, with hints of berry jam, prunes, raisins, black sugar, caramel, bitter chocolate, a touch of mirin, pencil shavings-like woodiness, and richness. When drunk, it starts with a smooth mouthfeel that expands into a richly aromatic sherry, with a strong and velvety sweetness of plum jam, caramel sauce, a pronounced woodiness without excessive tannins, and a slightly sticky, sweet, woody finish that lingers long. [Good/Very Good] This is the bottling of Blossoming Auld Sherried by the late Michel Couvreur. It is believed to have been released at least five years ago, and I recall it being one of his more expensive releases. Given Couvreur's belief that '95% of whisky is determined by the cask aging,' there is no distillery information or aging duration listed. However, it's likely aged for a significant period in very concentrated sherry casks, resulting in minimal distillery character as intended. From the first aroma, a thick, viscous sherry sensation is prominent, with a strong and diverse range of sherry notes and woodiness. When tasted, it is similarly dominated by the sherry character, with the base spirit seemingly providing only body. As expected, it has a rich and sweet depth, but the notable impression was that the tannins were not overly strong for such a woody profile. It seems to have been aged in long-used first-fill sherry casks from a bodega, hence the lack of strong tannins, leaving only the sherry and woody characteristics prominent. Contrary to Couvreur's assertion, I personally prefer whiskies where the cask does not overpower, but in this case, it's so pronounced that it can be enjoyed as a different category of drink. It was exactly the kind of sweet, post-dinner whisky.