Whisky: Braeval 17 Year (1998), Hart Brothers

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 58.5%

Cask: Sherry Hogshead

Age: 17 Year (Distilled June 1998, Bottled Sept. 2015)

Nose: Citrus, cereals, and cream.  Green apple and cinnamon brought to mind a cider mill— or an orchard gift shop with candied apples and oranges, cinnamon apple cider, butter, and fresh whole wheat rolls.  Straw, sawdust, and distressed oak containers displayed lovely sweet apples.

Palate: Medium-bodied with apples, musty spice, and oak. An intriguing mix of sweet apple cider behind impressions of nutmeg and cinnamon smugglers on South Asian seas. Sun-dried fruits and hard-tack biscuits with hints of leather, honey, and salt. A sweet, salty, meaty quality on the finish brought to mind Korean pears and blood sausage.

Finish: Lingering notes of dry spice and pastries.

Score: 7

Mental Image: Nutmeg Smugglers

Notes: It is not often that I find a dram a bit ho-hum and dull on the nose but wildly interesting on the palate. The aroma gave away little, barely a hint of the intriguing complexity of the palate— apples, cereals, and spice— it felt like a typical gentle Speyside. I figured I would not have much to say about it beyond the typical orchard fruits or cereals, which have a certain mass appeal.

However, the flavor profile was musty and spicy, with salt and honey appearing at various turns. The apples were not gone, but after an initial burst of spiced cider, they faded behind spice and sun-dried dates. A lovely meatiness developed on the back end, accentuated by a few drops of water, and gave a mineral note to some of the spices. Notions of oak, spice, and sea left me imagining the vainglorious smugglers who sought to break the Dutch monopoly on nutmeg.

Overall, I did not expect to enjoy this Braeval half as much as I did. It was loaded with character and a beautiful spice that linked together layers of fruit, salt, and meat.

Image Credit: Whiskybase