Braeval, formerly known as The Braes of Glenlivet, is a bit of an odd Speyside distillery, mothballed in 2001 and reopened in 2008 by Pernod Ricard for Chivas. It produces 4mm litres a year.
Braeval 1994 Kingsbury 23 Year / 54.1% ABV
Tasted neat, then with some mineral water
This single cask is barrel #165588, distilled in 1994 and bottled in 2017 for 23 years in the cask. It yielded 182 bottles, and comes with these tasting notes:
Golden, floral, soft.
Pear, barley, cleansing.
Enchanting.- Color: deep gold (0.8)
- Nose: creamy, astringent, malty, honeysuckle; whole-grain bread, fresh paint
- Taste: oak, asian pear, honey; rosewater, white grape, and gummy candies
- Finish: long and sweet, fruit custard and bubble gum
Not a huge amount of Braeval is floating around, and they offer no very few original bottlings of their own, so this is a bit of a strange treat. It’s very floral and strong, well-developed, and moderately complex. Prior to this bottle, I had only tried a 10–12 year trade sample from a sherry butt, but I found the distillery character interesting and bought this one.
Rating: 89/100
