Braes of Glenlivet 1991 The Art of Maturation Mission Gold 32 yo

 

 

 

41,1°

Distillery : Braeval - Speyside

Bourbon Hogsheads and 1st Fill Margaux Wine Finish

Independent Bottling 

By Murray McDavid 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

Braeval, formerly known as Braes of Glenlivet, was specially conceived to nourish blends, particularly Chivas. Nevertheless, independent bottlings regularly appear on the market, such as this one, which has the particularity of having undergone a 4-year finish in 1st Fill Margaux Wine Barriques. It is a blending of 4 casks, and yet it gave only 690 bottles, so I'm wondering wether this is 4 Bourbon Hogsheads finished in 4 Margaux Wine Casks, or 2 Bourbon Hogsheads and 2 Margaux Wine Casks. The latest hypothesis seems more logical, but you never know for sure. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Nose with a certain delicacy, but where the red fruits prevail, redcurrants, pomegranate, slightly acid cranberries, solvent, pomade. In the background, some vanilla cereals, raspberry muffin, a hint of ether and iodine. The palate, on the other hand, is lighter and more wine-like, with tannins and somewhat heavy fruit, lively spices, cooked mushrooms and soggy wood. The finish is light but very long, very woody, candied fruit, cereals and brioche, cola, nutmeg, a pinch of salt.

 

In Short, 

I really liked the nose, which seemed very well-balanced and original, but the palate and finish were a little less successful, more timid and light. All the same, this is a very good bottling, at a price that I find exaggerated, but what can you say, that's the market.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Adrian Quesada - Hoy Que Llueve

Braes of Glenlivet Distillery 1975 Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection 46 yo

 

 

 

45,6°

Distillery : Braeval - Speyside

Refill Bourbon Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By Gordon & MacPhail 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

It's not every day that you get to taste a whisky distilled in your year of birth. What's more, recently bottled. This one aged in a single Bourbon Hogshead for 46 years and six months. Distilled on June 5, 1975, it was bottled on December 30, 2021. Only 120 bottles were filled. In 46 years, the angels' share must be important. Please note, this is not a whisky from The Glenlivet distillery, but from the Braeval distillery, which until 1995 was called Braes of Glenlivet. It is a very little known distillery because it has never marketed an Original Bottling Single Malt. It was only built for Blends and it is still its function today.

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is just incredible, beyond description. I'm going to try it anyway. It's very candied, icing sugar, cranberry, vanilla cream, thick honey. A few drops of lemon, genoise. It's a little dusty, which adds complexity, and very woody. Old, noble wood, with peeling varnish. Old chalet in the mountains. Exotic fruits, banana, coconut, lychee. Prickly pear. All blended into a very fine balance. Still honeyed on the palate, blood orange, clementine, gingerbread, marzipan. Juicy peaches, Belle Hélène pear, mango. Quite long and tasty finish, fig and terracotta, a bit carbonated. Mint leaf, heather, forest berries. Soft toffee.

 

In Short, 

It is obviously a pure gem of complexity and variety of flavours. A pure pleasure to taste. However, I don't forget that this is a very minor distillery. If the nose seemed absolutely exceptional, the mouth and the finish are very good, but nothing more. It remains a whisky of great rarity, but the price is apocalyptic, I'm not sure it's worth it. Even for the 2% of the world's population that could afford it, I mean.

Score : 91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Johann Sebastian Bach - Chaconne en ré mineur pour deux violoncelles