The little-seen distillery Braes of Glenlivet (also called Braeval) is part of the Chivas group. It’s a recent distillery (founded 1973) and there are no official bottlings – everything goes to blends.

Braes of Glenlivet 23yo 1989 (57,1%, A.D. Rattray 2012, bourbon hogshead #1053, 187 btl.)

Nose: punchy nose with lots of malty notes and a slightly tangy graininess. Yellow plums and fragrant oranges. A little vanilla, some freshly sawn oak and some heather. Hints of violets in the end. Mouth: full-flavoured, again a modern bourbon profile with a malty core, honey and garden fruits. Pepper. Grainy and slightly spirity notes are nicely taken over by citrus (nice pink grapefruit). Almonds and brazil nuts. Light cocoa notes. Maybe a faint hint of smoke in the very end. Finish: clean and neutral, relatively fruity.

Modern whisky, not bad, with a bright maltiness at its heart. Maybe a tad too alcoholic and neutral for my taste, but obviously a rewarding whisky for blenders to work with. Around € 80.

Score: 80/100