“A Malty Speysider”
Country: Scotland
Region: Highlands - Speyside
Brand: Braeval 1998 (Van Wees - The Ultimate Series)
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 14 Years
ABV: 46%
Date: 02/07/2014
Colour: Pale Straw/Light Gold
Nose: Sweet, Malty, Fruity and Floral. I find Toasted Barley, Grass, Straw, Honey, Raisins, Nuts, Lemon, Pineapple, Banana, Orange, Vanilla, Oak, Wood Spice and a hint of Aniseed. The Alcohol is reasonably well integrated.
Palate: Basically follows the Nose. Mainly Sweet with Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Oak, Grass, Toffee, Honey, Orange, Mandarin, Lemon, Pepper and Licorice.
Finish: Middle-Long, Fruity, Spicy and Sweet with Barley, Toffee, Oak, Orange, Mandarin, Pepper, Nutmeg, Licorice and Mint.
I added a bit of Water and the Nose and Palate become quite Floral (Jasmine Blossom). It's interesting to try this Braeval both neat and with some added Water.
Rating: 85
Nose: 22 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21.5
The Braeval distillery is located in the Braes of Glenlivet and was founded by The Chivas and Glenlivet Group in 1973. Originally the Distillery was named Braes of Glenlivet but it changed to Braeval in 1994. Pernod Ricard bought Chivas Brothers in 2001 and mothballed Braeval from 2002 to July 2008 when it started producing again. Most of the production is destined for the Chivas Regal Blends. There are no Official Distillery Bottlings under the name of Braeval so we depend on Independent Bottlers like Van Wees.
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
Conclusion: A well-crafted very Malty Speysider with sufficient Fruit, Spices and Floral tones (especially with added Water) to form a coherent Summer Dram. At 50 Dollars this seems to be an interesting choice if you like the Flavour profile. It would have been even better with a slightly higher ABV of around 48%. I think Braeval should consider releasing a Single Malt of their own!
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