Michel Couvreur : Intravagan'za Clearach

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for the Intravagan'za Clearach - Michel Couvreur

Tasting

Nose
Remarkably complex for a spirit of this age, the first nose reveals exuberant notes of candied fruit, fruit paste, and salted butter caramel, accompanied by fragrances of green almond and frangipane. With aeration, honeyed, delicately woody, floral, and fruity nuances emerge with elegance.

Palate
The attack is bright and silky, offering a creamy texture reminiscent of pear liqueur. The palate is generous and enveloping, revealing flavors of raisins, chocolate, cinnamon, and orange zest, underpinned by subtle smoky notes in the background.

Pairings and Tasting Moments
Ideal as an aperitif to awaken the palate with its exuberance, this spirit pairs beautifully with well-aged cheeses such as cheddar, Manchego, or blue-veined cheeses. It also complements citrus desserts wonderfully. At the end of a meal, it can be savored as a true meditation spirit, served in small quantities (2 to 3 cl) to fully appreciate its aromatic depth.

Mixology
Although complex, it lends itself well to bold creations. Its notes of salted butter caramel and orange zest elevate cocktails featuring aromatic spirits, amaros, or fortified wines. It also blends seamlessly into complex mixes incorporating chocolate or warm spices.

Other Characteristics
Bottled at its natural strength of 50%, this spirit is neither chill-filtered nor artificially colored. The finish is long and warm, leaving lingering aromas of sherry and spiced wood.

An Exceptionally Exuberant Spirit, Aged in Sherry Casks in the Heart of Burgundy

Michel Couvreur: The Art of Aging in Burgundy
Founded in 1978 by Michel Couvreur, this singular house established its underground cellars in Bouze-lès-Beaune, in Burgundy. Based on the philosophy that 90 to 95% of a spirit's character comes from its cask aging, the estate stands out for its artisanal approach and its rejection of industrial conventions. Although it sources some of its Scotch whisky from the Highlands, it is in the constant humidity of its galleries carved into limestone rock that the magic of aging takes place. Since the founder's death in 2013, the continuity of the Michel Couvreur house has been ensured by his daughter Alexandra Couvreur-Deschamps, her husband Cyril Deschamps (co-director), Michel's widow, Marthe, as well as the emblematic cellar master Jean-Arnaud Frantzen.

L'Intravagan'za Clearach: The Boldness of Youth and Wood
L'Intravagan'za Clearach embodies the house's iconoclastic approach. The term Clearach historically refers to a malt distillate that has not yet reached the legal age of three years required to earn the designation Whisky. By pairing this name with Intravagan'za, the estate asserts the vibrancy of a young spirit, while demonstrating that carefully managed aging can offer a complexity worthy of far older nectars.

Crafted from Scotch malt distillates and French grain spirits, this spirit is aged for three years in the humid cellars of Burgundy. The secret to its richness lies in the use of freshly emptied Moscatel and Oloroso sherry casks, remarkably old and deeply imbued with decades of winemaking in Andalusia.

Production is distinguished by remarkably gentle methods: liquid transfers are carried out exclusively by gravity, without the use of mechanical pumps. Bottled at cask strength, each bottle is corked, waxed, and labeled by hand, a genuine testament to confidence in the quality of the distillate.