Whisky Review: C&S Dram Collection Braes of Glenlivet 19 Year 1994/2014

After the Càrn Mòr, I was mostly hoping for something more. As an additional upside, I had two samples, which meant more chances to get to know it.

This whisky was distilled in 1994, aged in ex-bourbon barrel #159158, then bottled at 54.4% in 2014 without coloring or chill filtration. Samples are sold out at the WhiskyBase shop, but you can still grab a full bottle if you feel so inclined.

C&S Dram Collection Braes of Glenlivet 19 Year 1994/2014

Nose: dominated by the bourbon barrel - rather woody with a bit of char, caramel, creamy vanilla, savory/soy sauce, green malt, rolled oats, sweet cinnamon, orange peel, bubblegum, grape/brandy, peach/apricot, raspberry, and a little plastic. After adding a drop of water, the oak becomes more charred and polished, plus the malt becomes grainier and almost like corn, giving it a more overt bourbon character.

Taste: lots of honey and wood sweetness starting at the beginning, big berry, apple, and white fruit notes around the middle, then becoming more tannic and bittersweet with a bit of greenness near the back. After dilution, the oak integrates with the sweetness, the malt becomes more prominent and gains some corn character, raisins are added to the berries, and the fruit notes become stronger in general.

Finish: moderate oak and tannins, lingering malt and fruit, bittersweet, alcohol heat

This whisky is without a doubt heavily influenced by the barrel. The first go around it seemed like too much, but on the second more balance was achieved, letting the fruit flavors create a counterpoint to the oak. Being bottled at cask strength definitely helps, as the flavors are bold. In some respects I feel like this might be a good gateway malt for bourbon drinkers as the oak influence provides something of a bridge between the two styles, while the malt offers something different from a typical bourbon. It's not cheap, but given its age and the quality of the spirit, I'm fairly inclined to grab a full bottle.

Whisky Review: Càrn Mòr Braes of Glenlivet 19 Year 1994/2014

For whatever reason, the Braes of Glenlivet, now known as Braeval, filled a lot of fresh bourbon barrels in 1994. Dozens of single cask bottlings have hit the market over the last couple of years. It seems probable this is because the casks are approaching or over two decades old and the small bourbon barrels will impart more oak to the spirit than slightly larger hogsheads would.

This whisky going into this expression was distilled in 1994, aged in two ex-bourbon barrels, then proofed down to 46% and bottled without coloring or chill filtration in 2014. I purchased a sample from WhiskyBase, which is unfortunately sold out now.

Càrn Mòr Braes of Glenlivet 19 Year 1994/2014

Nose: generically malty with somewhat tired bourbon barrel influence, hints of caramel, something a bit metallic, tropical fruit esters, musky melon, a touch of solvent in the background, cinnamon graham crackers. After adding a drop of water, it becomes more integrated, though the fruit becomes more grape-y and less tropical, and the wood becomes more evident.

Taste: solid malt and barrel sweetness up front, mixed bourbon barrel fruit (almost sherried) emerging with time, fading through slightly tired oak with a savory/yeasty edge and a touch of green malt. After dilution, it comes together better - the malt and oak integrate, the wood becomes a bit perkier, balanced by the fruit esters and some citrus top notes (lemon curd).

Finish: very pleasantly malty, lingering mixed fruit esters, mild oak, vanilla

This is one of those whiskies that really seems to suffer for having been bottled at 46%. There are hints of better things that might have been more readily apparent at full strength, but as is they're too indistinct. At the same time, it gets a bit perkier with water, so it may just be that 46% isn't the sweet spot. There's nothing wrong with it as it is per se, but neither is there anything that grabs me. I can see how this would be a solid base for a blend, but it needs something more to really come together. Perhaps unsurprisingly Càrn Mòr bottled another barrel of Braeval from the same vintage at full strength, which seems to have gotten much better reviews.

Whisky Review: Signatory Braeval 12 Year 1998/2011 for Chicago

Braeval, formerly known as the Braes of Glenlivet until the owners of The Glenlivet decided to clean up their own brands before going after everyone else using the Glenlivet name, is one of the younger distilleries in Scotland, having been built in the mid-70s. Along with its sister distillery Allt-a-Bhainne, Braeval was built for and continues to produce almost entirely for blends. In keeping with that, the distillery is so efficient and automated that it can, in a pinch, be run by a single person.

Single malts from Braeval, even by independent bottlers, are a bit thin on the ground. This particular ex-bourbon cask was bottled by Signatory for Binny's in Chicago at 56.9% without chill filtration or coloring.

Thanks for Florin for the sample.

Signatory Braeval 12 Year 1998/2011

Nose: a solid layer of mossy Laphroaig-y peat, beef fat, rich but not overpowering oak, milk chocolate, a hint of sour milk, Nyquil/menthol, clean green malt, vanilla, salty biscuit dough, musky lime peel, grilled pineapple, pears. After adding a few drops of water, the peat is tamed and integrated into the malt as herbal/vegetation notes with some hints of green smoke, the oak becomes sweeter and more polished, and the fat becomes charred.

Taste: clean malt sweetness up front, which is slowly countered by a rising tide of mossy peat, polished oak and tannins, lemon/lime citrus, heather-y floral notes, green fruits (and skins) and melons. After dilution, the malt becomes softer and more grainy than sweet, with a big dose of vanilla in the middle, followed by much more tame peat and less fruit, but the alcohol becomes more pronounced.

Finish: mossy peat, burning heather, wood smoke, mild oak, dry rather than sweet malt, peppery

Interestingly, though the samples were all from the same bottle, I found more peat and seem to like this whisky a lot more than either MAO or Smokypeat. I think the peat helped to give it more balance to me than they found. I'm moderately inclined to pick up a bottle as it makes me think of a lighter bourbon cask Laphroaig or Longrow. It helps that the price isn't stratospheric.