Braes of Glenlivet 1975 36 Year Old 'Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice'
The distillery on the label no longer answers to that name. Braes of Glenlivet was built in 1973 on the Glenlivet estate and was renamed Braeval in 1994, so a 1975 vintage like this carries the original title. Distilled that year, aged 36 years in a remade American hogshead and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail in October 2011 for their Connoisseurs Choice range, it sits at 43%.
This is Speyside, not Highland, and it drinks like it. Braes of Glenlivet was designed to make a light, elegant, grassy malt, and Gordon & MacPhail, the Elgin family firm who have been maturing and bottling Scotch since 1895, chose a refill-style cask that lets that delicacy survive nearly four decades. Heavy sherry wood would have buried a spirit this fine; the remade hogshead kept it clear.
Expect a fresh, floral, fragrant nose, with hay, barley and a faint earthiness. The palate is dry and refined: toasted oak, a light nutty sweetness, and gentle grip. The finish is medium in length, turning to cereal, grain and a little tangy spice. It is a whisky of subtlety rather than power, and it rewards a quiet room and an empty glass alongside. Water is optional; at 43% and this age, I would leave it be.
A lovely bottle for a collector who values provenance and the character of a lost distillery name.
How to Serve
Neat, in a tulip glass, at a relaxed pace. No water needed; if you add any, make it a single drop.
Where to Drink It
Soho Whisky Club, who understand old independent bottlings. Dukes Bar in St James's, for the hush a 36-year-old malt deserves. Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood, for a contemplative late pour.
Food Pairings
Keep it simple: a few toasted hazelnuts, or a plain oatcake to echo the cereal notes.
