This bottling was tasted as part of our Spirits Embassy tasting on 2/11/21.
These premium Octave™ whiskies have been held in sherry casks to intensify their flavors and add a new dimension to their flavor profiles, bringing out the very best in each rare dram. Bottled at cask strength there were 86 bottles created of this stunningly presented whisky.
Octave™ casks are approximately 1/8th the size of a butt
These rare and exceptional whiskies are presented in luxury packaging befitting their provenance and are limited in numbers
The Spirits Embassy
Appearance
Darker than mid gold with an orange tinge to it, with a lovely thick swirl line and legs. #thewhiskeychaps
The Braeval is a belter, just goes to show how many decisions on the choice of whiskies are driven by Marketing spend and not about quality. #thewhiskeychaps
— Ian Logan (@iantheguardian) November 2, 2021
Nose
Barley sugar and aromatic wood. Royal icing, a sweet chilli note, green tea, wood polish, apricot jam on toast, I could nose this one for ages and get more notes, aromas within aromas. #thewhiskeychaps
There’s also a mint ice cream aroma, liquorice torpedo sweets, golden syrup, a touch of honey @whiskeychap? #thewhiskeychaps
Nose: stewed apples with cinnamon, like an authentic strudel#thewhiskeychaps
— Single Malt Mike 🥃 (@whiskyodyssey) November 2, 2021
Palate
This dram has a lovely mouthfeel, and I’m getting a little coastal feel here, perhaps a touch of salinity, honey, brown sugar, cereals, molasses, almost rum like, rum and raisin ice cream, cigar leaves, and lovely balanced wood too.
It has a very rounded and well married palate, it’s also very creamy, and is reminiscent of a coffee with whisky in it. Christmasy dark fruits are everywhere, that have been heavily soaked in sherry.
A hidden gem, not saying that as an ex-Chivas employee, its just bloody good whisky #thewhiskeychaps
— Ian Logan (@iantheguardian) November 2, 2021
Finish
Lovely sugary rum like flavours, dark and fruity, stewed fruits, fig roll biscuits, chocolate coated raisins, this one does need some time, there’s a lot here to explore in all honesty. Very nice indeed. #thewhiskeychaps
My thoughts
At £250 this bottle doesn’t come cheap, and sadly is out of my personal price range, but if i had the funds available i would buy a bottle. This bottle does bring more depth and complexity, it’s very nicely rounded, and reminded me of the AnCnoc 24yr old. I can imagine finding new aromas and flavours each time i poured a drop of this whisky, and i could easily sit with a glass for an hour or so, it makes me smile to be honest.
Overall: It’s a very nice drop indeed. I’m not sure I could strecth to the RRP but very glad I got the chance to try it! It’s got more layers than an onion and would keep your taste buds entertained for the entire bottle I’m sure! #thewhiskeychaps
— Whisk(e)y Chap 🏴🥃 (@whiskeychap) November 2, 2021
Notes – This whisky is from a single cask, is non chill filtered, natural coloured and at natural cask strength.
Thanks to – Ian Logan – @iantheguardian, senior manager of whisky and hospitality at Duncan Taylor, and Mike – @whiskyodyssey, for joining us on this tasting, and for letting me use their tweets in my review, we had a great evening. You can follow Ian and Mike below.
Our tasting schedule can be found on our website, Thewhiskeychaps.com
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