Braeval 1994 (Tasting Fellows)

1994 is the year in which Braes of Glenlivet was baptised Braeval. Like The Glenlivet, the distillery was owned by Chivas Brothers and they wanted to avoid confusion.

Braeval is one of these distilleries that are released more often in the last two years. There’s more demand for whisky in general, and bottlers start looking for lesser known names to fill the gap, I guess. This Braeval 1994 is bottled by Tasting Fellows.

Braeval 18 yo 1994 (55,3%, Tasting Fellows 2013, barrel #165661, 170 btl.)

Nose: ripe, local fruits like apples and peaches. Mirabelles. A fair dose of citric fruits as well. Vanilla and faint honey. Also a faint waxiness and soft leathery notes. Sweet barley. Fruit eau-de-vies. A natural dram.

Mouth: punchy, with apple and citrus again, also a few greener, maltier notes. Sweet beer. Lemon candy. Vanilla. Hints of grapefruit skin and traces of virgin oak.

Finish: medium long, on apples and a Littlemill-like green fruitiness.

Good whisky, clean, fairly simple and typical for its region. No surprises. Around € 90, still available from Tasting Fellows, Whiskybase or Whisky-Fässle.

Score: 85/100