Allt-A-Bhainne versus Braeval


December 1, 2023

WF's Little Duos, today Allt-A-Bhainne versus Braeval

In fact, these are malts of which we currently have only one expression not yet tasted in our library, and that we prefer to taste rather than wait for the arrival of a sparring partner. Do you see the idea? But here it works out well, as both distilleries, built at the same time, belong to Chivas/Pernod.

Allt-A-Bhainne 23 yo 2000/2023 (51.9%, Signatory Vintage for LMDW, New Vibrations, 1st fill oloroso sherry, cask #10, 689 bottles)

I love Pernod's underdog, it takes sherry extremely well. I could read on LMDW's website that they also do peat these days; well, I can't wait to try that version, but in the meantime... Colour: mahogany. Nose: It goes straight to prunes in Armagnac and Corinthian raisins, then on to sticky toffee pudding and a large pack of dried figs. I adore dried figs, within a single pack all the figs will be different, it's quite incredible. Have you ever noticed that? There is also some aged prune (from Souillac) and old Malaga wine, as well as sherry brandy rather than the pure and very dry oloroso. With water: ah yes, it's better, more complex, with herbs, rosemary, thyme, liquorice, even a few drops of pastis. You would say it's normal since the owners, Pernod-Ricard, are the world's leading pastis producers. Mouth (sans eau): very rich, almost sweet, it's as if they used what was once called 'oloroso dulce', which wasn't true oloroso but more a kind of cream sherry. Oloroso is as dry as a stick. Lots of liqueur chocolate, apricot jam, toffee, dried grapes, black nougat... With water: once again water works wonders (yes, this is WF here). Notes of ham, beef jerky, dark chocolate, espresso… with even a slight salty touch. Finish: rather long, with tobacco this time and sloe liqueur. The figs and chocolate come back in the aftertaste. Comments: a real beast heavily influenced by sherry. A few drops of water are almost mandatory. Those who are less fond of sherry than us will probably like it a bit less, but there you have it.
SGP:651 - 88 points.

So there's also this old Braes that we had in the boxes, let's taste it quickly and well…

Braes of Glenlivet 1975/2006 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, refill hogsheads)

We used to call this one 'the new map label', but indeed, what was new in the year 2000 is not too new anymore. It was another era. What's to be remembered is that Braeval a.k.a. Braes of Glenlivet was built in 1973, so in a way, this 1975 was a brand new malt whisky. Colour: straw. Nose: tough boy, full of mashed turnips, old papers, cream cheese, carbon paper, Jerusalem artichokes, old coins and eggplants. 'You don't find them like this anymore'. Mouth: very bizarre, salty when it shouldn't be, all on stewed vegetables, leek, cabbage, potatoes, plus some candy sugar and a strange, alien spice mix. Very odd. Finish: medium, very earthy and rather perfumy, with not a single molecule seeming to be exactly in the right place. More vegetables, artichokes, Brussels sprouts and all that. A sweetish aspect at the end, as if some salsify had been cooked in honey and caramel. Don't tell me that's very good! Comments: truly a different era. Independents, rather than conforming to quality standards, might have sometimes preferred to offer very different malts from one another in order to highlight the great variety of Scottish whiskies, even if that sometimes meant overlooking the flaws of one or another. After all, it is also the flaws that make you different. Quite often, we liked the odd malts just because they were different, but as I said, it was another era. Today, I believe the malts are generally better, but on the other hand they are becoming more and more similar to each other while the casks they use are basically the same. It's the globalisation of Scottish whisky!
SGP:571 - 69 points.

(Thanks a bunch, Olav)

Check the index of all Allt-A-Bhainne we've tasted so far

Check the index of all Braes/Braeval we've tasted so far