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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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January 6, 2022 |
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I'll say it again, we love these moderately notorious distilleries at Whiskyfun and shall seize any opportunity to try some of their output 'that would tend to fly under the radars'. Braes of Glenlivet was built in 1974 by Chivas (part of Seagram at that time), mothballed in 2002 and restarted by new owners Pernod Ricard in 2008. Pernod have changed the name to Braeval to avoid any confusion with their flaghsip distillery Glenlivet but many keep using both names. Including, err, us. |
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Braes of Glenlivet 22 yo 1997/2020 (57.8%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, refill bourbon hogshead, #113.35, 'Lemons on the lawn', 237 bottles) 
Oh they already had thirty-five Braes/Braeval at the SMWS! Not too bad! But is it Braeval or Braes? You wouldn't know since the Society only uses numbers. This one was part of their Advent Calendar 2021. Colour: white wine. Nose: this time the name's really spot on. Lemons and cut grass, apple peel, raw white calvados, limestone and chalk, then porridge and ink… I don't quite know why, I'm reminded of Glen Spey. With water: porridge and chalk all the way. Mouth (neat): ultra-tight, more vertical than any tower in Dubai and more grassy than all the lawns at Wimbledon. Some raw myrtle too, dry bean curd, and indeed a lot of lemon but first rather raw zests this time, and only then as limoncello. With water: sweeter, with more limoncello and lemon gumdrops. They may have distilled sauvignon blanc, actually. Finish: medium but tensed like a bow. Lemons on the lawn indeed. Comments: wasn't the cask rather some kind of concrete egg, as some use in wine? In any case, I like this really a lot.
SGP:561 - 87 points. |
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Braeval 24 yo 1997/2021 (49.3%, Quaich Bar Singapore, hogshead, 190 bottles) 
This one was selected by legendary former Springbank manager Frank McHardy, let's see if he chose a fatter, waxier, sootier Braeval… Colour: gold. Nose: not quite, this is tight, citrusy and grassy as well, which is not bad news mind you. So it is rather similar, only with a little more dough indeed, raisin rolls, perhaps streusels, as well as whiffs of banana skin. A few easter small eggs too. Mouth: same similarities and same differences, well Lemons on the lawn indeed. Apple peelings and limoncello, Lemon Drop (the cocktail) and lemon drops (the sweets), green tea, a tiny mentholated touch (peppermint) and perhaps one drop of Bénédictine. No wonder this was done for a high-class bar. Finish: pretty long, a tad fatter, with faint echoes of coconut and banana, otherwise all on limoncello and Bénédictine. And peppermint liqueur in the aftertaste. Very refreshing. Comments: could be that an excellent mixologist could reconstruct this one using ingredients he/she would have got behind the bar. I find it really brilliant, if not surprisingly brilliant.
SGP:661 - 89 points. |
We'll have some sherried Braevals next time. In the meantime… |
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