Braeval 1998 12-year-old

Bought: English Whisky Company, 6^th November 2015

Ratings:
81/100 – Whiskybase (average from 4 member votes)

Although the Braeval distillery changed its name from ‘Braes of Glenlivet’ in 1994 you still find plenty of references online to its former self. My only previous bottle was a miniature distilled in 1987 which Cadenhead’s bottled in 1995 as a ‘Braes of Glenlivet’. It might be 22 years since the renaming but that’s no time at all in the world of whisky. Names and terms have a habit of sticking around forever in the whisky industry. I blame the Internet but I do for most things!

The house style for Braeval is quite sweet, fruity, grassy, spices and a hint of smoke. I know from tasting a Glen Spey that I enjoy a cask-strength Speysider with a good hint of grass, so Braeval sounds intriguing. The malt used is unpeated and the casks are ex-bourbon (providing the sweetness, fruits and spice). The distillery (the highest in Scotland) was mothballed in 2002 but brought back to life in 2008, which is a blessing for all us whisky lovers. 81/100 on Whiskybase certainly ranks this bottle of Braeval as a delicious find. 449 bottles were produced and I have number 264. Not a bad purchase for £60.

Reisetbauer 1998 7-year-old

Bought: Online Whisky Auction, 3^rd November 2015

Ratings:
86.5/100 – Whisky Bible 2009 (I think – see below)
72.25/100 – Whiskybase (average from 4 member votes)

When I think whisky I think Austria! Actually I don’t and nor would most people but this bottle from the Reisetbauer distillery in Austria ticks a new country off my list of world whisky examples. Two different bottles of Reisetbauer appeared in a UK auction and I bid on them hoping I’d be lucky enough to get one. I got both. Hurray! Although searching into the quality of this 1998 bottling leaves me uncertain….

Jim Murray in his Whisky Bible 2009 mentions this Reisetbauer 1998, scoring it 86.5/100 and saying “a large, rambling malt bursting at the seams with character and charm. Ten years in the cask appear to have seen off the worst of the odd distilling blemish”…..hang on, did he say 10 years? But this is a 7yo! He gives the official Reisetbauer 7yo 76/100 so where does he get 10 years maturation from? The Reisetbauer 1998 is 56%, which Mr Murray’s review agrees with. I’m sure he’s talking about the same whisky but has incorrectly assumed it’s 10 years old rather than 7. He goes on to say “bravo bottling at full strength, because the spices are seen to best effect, as is the barley which tries to find a sugar course, but narrowly fails. Substantial weight throughout and an excellent length to the finish. The toasty dryness is also a delight. I can’t wait to see further bottlings from this obviously polished distillery. Impressive and desirable.”

In the 2006 Bible Jim Murray scores the Reisetbauer 1996 a lowly 71/100 and the Reisetbauer 1997 creeps up to 73/100 so I’m glad to see my 1998 version has reached his classification of “very good to excellent whisky definitely worth buying”. Not that 4 voters on Whiskybase agree where the average score is a deflating 72.25/100. It seems the Reisetbauer distillery hasn’t convinced everyone, yet.

Here’s ‘A Dram A Day’ with their review on You Tube (December 2016):

Caperdonich 1998 12-year-old

Bought: English Whisky Company, 28^th July 2015

Ratings:
7.5/10 – Whisky Wednesday (his You Tube video below)
87.25/100 – Whiskybase (average from 4 member votes)

Caperdonich distillery closed in 2002 so it’s certainly of interest to whisky collectors. Independent bottlings such as this one by Gordon & MacPhail aren’t all that common but the distillery’s demise is recent enough to keep the prices sensible. But for how long it’s hard to say. It was only a few years ago you could buy bottles of Littlemill for under £40 but they’re all over £100 now.

Caperdonich (which means ‘secret well’) opened in 1897 only to close 5 years later in 1902 after the demise of the Victorian whisky boom. It remained silent for over 60 years before opening again in 1965. It closed in 2002 along with the Braeval and Allt a Bhainne distilleries, which have both since reopened. Unfortunately that won’t happen to Caperdonich as the distillery buildings were demolished in 2010.

As Jo says in his ‘Whisky Wednesday’ review below, this Caperdonich 1998 has a classic Speyside smell. The house style for the distillery was tropical fruits, vanilla, sweet, spiced and light in body. 87.25/100 on Whiskybase is a high mark with voters’ comments of “smooth and well balanced” and “this is great fun. It lacks a little weight and is not flawless, but I could drink it all night.”

Highland Park 1998

Bought – The Whisky Exchange, 11^th November 2014

Ratings:
85/100 – Whisky Bible 2015
81.9/100 – Whiskybase (average from 71 member votes)

Another HP originally created for the Travel Retail market in 2010. Having been superseded by the Warrior series, old stock of the 1998, 1994, 2001 and 1990 can sometimes be found in standard whisky shops like The Whisky Exchange. I grabbed this bottle quickly because a) I’m a HP fan and b) this old release wont be available for long.

At 85/100 in the Whisky Bible, this malt just squeezes into the category of “very good to excellent whisky definitely worth buying” but the author says “though pleasant, disappointing by HP standards”. Sometimes having high standards can be a rod for a distillery’s back. If this malt had been by the Speyburn or Speyside distillery it would score in the 90s simply by comparison to their usual output. Nevertheless, this 1998, bottled in 2010, compares very favourably with the standard HP 12-year-old, which only scores 78/100 in the Whisky Bible. But, just to confuse matters, Whiskybase score the standard 12yo 82.44/100, which is slightly more than what they give to this 1998 release.

Often with buying whisky, it’s not a case of getting something better, but getting something different. I could go to my local supermarket and buy two bottles of the standard HP 12yo for the same price as this 1998 version but that’s not the point. Once you’re hooked on whisky, you like to try what’s out there, even if it means paying a bit more for the experience. And being a collector adds another dimension to this malted madness! 🙂

Here’s Gerry Tosh of Highland Park discussing the 1998 release (July 2010):

Miltonduff 1998 (Carn Mor c.11-year-old)

Bought – C Gar Ltd, 22^nd October 2013

Ratings:
None but listed on Whiskybase here.

This Miltonduff is part of the 24 x 20cl bottles that make up the Carn Mor Vintage Collection. Distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2009, it’s from a limited edition of 1224, Cask No: 3620.

As per usual with the Carn Mor collection I’ve not been able to find any specific bottle reviews. That said, of the 11 bottles of Miltonduff reviewed in the Whisky Bible 2013, the lowest scores 82/100 and the highest 96/100. The average score is in the high 80s. That’s not to say the version I have is similarly good but at 46%, non-chill filtered and no added colour, it has the building blocks of a good malt.

Miltonduff is a Speyside distillery dating back to 1824 when it was made legal. Prior to that it was believed to be one of the many illicit stills in the area. The main blend the Miltonduff whisky lends itself to is Ballantines.