Braeval 1975/2010 Gordon & MacPhail

The second Braeval in a couple of weeks time, so I won’t bother you with background info on the distillery. There is some in my previous Braeval-post, but you really should use a site like Malt Madness, one of the most informative whisky websites available.

Whereas the previous Braeval I reviewed is a very modern whisky from the mid-nineties finished in a PX-cask, this one is a very clean oldie from the seventies, classically matured in an ex-bourbon cask.

Braeval 1975/2010 (43%, G&M Connoisseurs Choice)

Nose: Fruity and fresh with a slight sourness. Green apples, grapes, lemon and pink grapefruit, which brings along a slight bitterness. Some wood shavings and a hint of coconut. After a while a more vegetal note appears, some pine sap also. One thing is for sure, there’s lots going one here.
Taste: Juicy and oaky with a hint of smoke. Some bitterness, but not too much. Pretty spicy with some white pepper. But also a layer of fruity sweetness. Pear and honey glazed apples.
Finish: Oaky and sweet (cotton candy). Medium in length.

Rating: 89

A fresh and fruity summer dram with plenty of oak influence, but never too much. Although they shouldn’t have left this in the cask for another year.

Thanks to Geert for the sample. If you’d like to read his take on this whisky, you can find it here.

Thijs Klaverstijn

Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.