Described by Courvoisier as ‘daring’, ‘visionary’ and ‘a first-of-its-kind collaboration’, Courvoisier Mizunara was created by the home’s recently-retired maître de chai, Patrice Pinet, and Shinji Fukuyo, chief blender of Japanese whisky maker Suntory.
The mission dates again to 2015, when the president of Suntory visited Courvoisier at Jarnac shortly after Suntory took over Beam International, the Cognac home’s then proprietor, in a deal value US$16bn.
Pinet expressed an curiosity in experimenting with mizunara oak, and shortly afterwards was despatched one virgin – which means not beforehand used for maturation – 500-litre mizunara oak cask. He stuffed it with Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie that had already been maturing for greater than 10 years in French oak.
‘I’ve at all times been intrigued by the shortage and uniqueness of Japanese mizunara oak,’ stated Pinet. ‘I knew the mizunara cask was an unconventional alternative for Courvoisier and, along with Shinji, we noticed the potential for the notoriously temperamental wooden to reinforce the distinctive traits of the distinctive Cognac, and complement the maison’s signature floral home type.’
Thibaut Hontanx, who just lately took over from Pinet to grow to be Courvoisier’s seventh maître de chai, defined that Pinet had intentionally chosen eaux-de-vie with solely a light-weight oak affect to amplify the flavours coming from the mizunara – however preliminary outcomes have been nonetheless disappointing.
‘They have been promoting these “unique” flavours, however after six months it was very flat when it comes to the aromas,’ Hontanx stated. ‘The tannin was powerful – there was a bitterness that didn’t wish to go away.’
Fukuyo suggested Pinet to be affected person – ‘Take your time, it’s going to come,’ he stated – and progressively, after three years of maturation, the spirit’s character started to vary. ‘Now you’ve obtained one thing fully completely different,’ stated Hontanx. ‘You’ve obtained unique fruit, pineapple, cacao, hazelnut.
‘There are flowers like jasmine and, on the palate, it’s actually an explosion of aromas. You’ll be able to really feel the mizunara oak – you’ll be able to even chew it. It’s very silky, and there’s good size.’
The Cognac was bottled at the next than regular power of 48% ABV, Hontanx added, to spotlight the aromas coming from the mizunara oak.
Cognac’s strict guidelines forbid the usage of the phrase ‘end’ to explain an additional interval of maturation in a distinct cask – as is often achieved in Scotch whisky, for instance – they usually additionally solely enable Cognac eaux-de-vie to be aged in new oak casks, or oak casks which have beforehand contained wine, or wine-based merchandise – similar to Sauternes or Pineau de Charentes.
Had Courvoisier Mizunara been matured in a cask that had beforehand contained Japanese whisky, it might have needed to be bottled as a brandy or spirit drink – though it might nonetheless have used the Courvoisier branding.
Solely 500 bottles of Courvoisier Mizunara can be found globally, 35 of them within the UK, on the market through retailers together with Harrods, Harvey Nichols and The Whisky Trade, plus choose on-trade companions. The RRP is £2,000 for a 70cl bottle.
Courvoisier Mizunara – how does it style?
On the nostril, the fruit is positively exuberant, with juicy plums and black cherries, earlier than slipping into extra perfumed territory: candied pineapple, papaya and mango. The palate brings extra of the identical – only a trace of black banana too – earlier than a strong, drying spice character emerges, harking back to American rye whiskey, with an fringe of chilli pepper. Daring by the requirements of Courvoisier, and with loads of grip from the cask.
