Braeval 1996 Premium Octave cask 51.1% abv - Duncan Taylor
Originally established in 1973 as Braes of Glenlivet, the distillery was renamed in 1995 as Braeval to distinguish it from The Glenlivet. It is also technically the highest situated distilleries in Scotland vying for the honour with Dalwhinnie. Rarely seen as a single malt, Braeval remains an important component of blends such as Chivas and 100 Pipers.
Bottlers Notes
These premium Octave™ whiskies have been held in sherry casks to intensify their flavors and add a new dimension to their flavour profiles, bringing out the very best in each rare dram. Bottled at cask strength there were 86 bottles created of this stunningly presented whisky.
Nose: Loads of caramel and chocolate toffee, a stack of maple syrup covered pancakes, jelly fruit sweets made from pear juice and apple, honey nut cornflakes.
Palate: Starts with a touch of prickly spice, heavily sugared black tea, raisins and prunes, quite thick and creamy, very full and more complexity than on the nose.
Finish: Long, clean and fruity. Just a touch of saltiness emerges, but still lashings of caramel, more sherry roundness, becomes sweet as the spices fade.
Tasting notes:
Appearance: Golden, deep gold, beading up slowly before falling as thick legs.
Nose: Opulent, deep and rich, stewed fruit with cinnamon, Viennese strudel and caramel sauce.
Palate: Candied fruits, orange peel, muscovado sugar, dates, hints of tobacco, tropical fruit and a lovely creaminess, Christmas spices
Finish: Long, lingering caramel, raisin, sultanas and sherry notes
Summary: At a price of £250 this whisky has a lot to live up to, and I’m always in two minds when I try samples at this end of the price range. Part of me hoping it will be truly amazing, whilst there’s always a slight hope it won’t be so good I have to have a bottle.
This one certainly lives up to it’s premium branding. It feels decadent, there is a beautiful, rich complexity that can only be admired. And yet, there is something very warm and comforting about this Braeval. It’s definitely one of those you sit and savour, and a perfect whisky for those cold winter months.
This sample was part of a 5 dram tasting pack, purchased from The Spirits Embassy and was used for a Twitter tasting session with The Whisky Chaps.
We were joined on the session by Ian Logan of Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Ltd providing facts about the whiskies and the distilleries. A big thank you to Ian and The Whiskey Chaps for a great evening.
If you would like to know more about Duncan Taylor and their whiskies, follow the link to the company website
Transparency: No goods or other incentives were exchanged, offered or requested for this independent review.
