It's Saturday night, and that means whisky.
After last weeks foray into America, we return back to Scotland. More specifically: Speyside
The specific whisky I will be tasting is the Braeval 21 by the independent Belgian bottler Brachadair.
I bought the whisky (sample) through singlemaltsamples.be, delivery was quick and correct.
The sample was rather large (5cl), so I had already tasted in the past, but decided the time was right to polish it off tonight.
If you have not heard of Braeval, it is because it is not commonly sold as a single malt. The distillery belongs to Chivas Regal.
This bottling is cask strength at 53.1% alcohol.
The aroma:
When you smell this whisky in the glass, the first thing you notice is the alcohol, but it is not sharp or harsh, just warm. There is something sweet in the smell, reminiscent of fortified wines,
the flavour:
At 53.1% This one packs a serious punch. It comes in with a flavour of fresh wood, but not in your face. It remains nicely balanced. There is pineapple here, some almonds,... lot's of goodness. But keep it in your mouth too long, and it will simply sedate your tongue. This is a whisky for slow sipping throughout a night, very aromatic, small sips suffice to get the full taste-experience.
Aftertaste:
The aftertaste is long and warm, there is melon here. If you breathe out gently through your nose, there is some coconut. The alcohol is never harsh
My judgement:
This is a superb whisky. There where only 230 bottles of this beauty, and unfortunately they are all sold out, so if my description got you salivating, too bad, you will not be able to get it, unless if someone still has an unopened bottle lying around.
Pricewise I am not entirely sure what a bottle would have set you back, but we are talking the 100€ a bottle range here, so taking that price into account I will give it a 9/10. Half an hour after the last sip, there is still a hint of flavour left in my mouth.
Previous tastings:
I: Dalmore port wood reserve: @walkerlv/whisky-review-dalmore-port-wood-reserve
II: Lagavullin 16yo: @walkerlv/saturday-night-whisky-review-lagavullin-16
III: Bulleit 10 year old: @walkerlv/saturday-night-whisky-review-bulleit-10-year-old-bourbon