Uncharted Whisky Co – Braeval – 10 Year Old – Matured in 1st Fill Oloroso – 55.0% ABV
$99.99
“HIGHER GROUND” UNCHARTED WHISKY CO. BRAEVAL 10 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Barriques · Distilled October 14, 2014 · Bottled April 2025 · 612 Bottles
Region
Speyside
Distillery
Braeval
Age
10 years
ABV
55.0%
Maturation
1st Fill Oloroso Sherry
Outturn
612 bottles
A Study in Sherry
Two Braevals. Two Weeks Apart. Two Very Different Sherry Casks.
This release and our Whispering Waters Braeval 9.97 Year were distilled at Scotland’s highest distillery just 14 days apart, both in October 2014. Both spent their entire lives in first-fill sherry casks, from new make to bottle, at true cask strength.
The only variable is which sherry was in the cask before the whisky. This one: first-fill Oloroso. Dry, nutty, savoury. The other: first-fill Pedro Ximénez. Deep, sweet, jammy. Same spirit, same water, same pot stills, same maturation length. Two different worlds in the glass.
Braeval sits in the village of Chapeltown, near Ballindalloch, at the highest elevation of any working distillery in Scotland. Founded in 1973 as Braes of Glenlivet and renamed Braeval in 1994 to avoid confusion with its famous neighbor, it has spent most of its life feeding blends, most notably Chivas Regal. Single malt releases are rare. Single cask first-fill sherry releases are rarer still.
Braeval’s tall, slender pot stills produce a light, refined, almost delicate spirit. Full maturation in first-fill Oloroso for a decade is the kind of cask partnership that transforms a distillate rather than just coloring it. Bottled at 55.0%. Single cask. 612 bottles. Natural colour. Non-chill filtered.
Same distillery, same month, two sherry styles
Whispering Waters
Braeval 9.97 Year · 1st Fill PX
Distilled October 28, 2014
Bottled October 14, 2024
Full 1st Fill Pedro Ximénez maturation
60.2% ABV · 306 bottles
The sweet side: dark jammy fruits, cherry chocolate, stewed blackberries, honeyed dates. PX at full volume.
Uncharted Whisky Co.
Braeval 10 Year · 1st Fill Oloroso
Distilled October 14, 2014
Bottled April 2025
Full 1st Fill Oloroso maturation
55.0% ABV · 612 bottles
The dry side: butterscotch, sticky toffee pudding, cinnamon pastry, spice cupboard finish. Oloroso at full volume.
Distillery profile, Braeval
Founded in 1973 as Braes of Glenlivet, renamed Braeval in 1994 to avoid confusion with its famous neighbor.
Sits in Chapeltown, near Ballindalloch, at the highest elevation of any working distillery in Scotland.
Owned by Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard) and produces primarily for blends, most notably Chivas Regal.
Uses tall, slender pot stills that produce a light, clean, refined spirit. Perfect canvas for an active cask.
Cask profile, 1st fill Oloroso sherry
Oloroso is the dry, oxidatively aged style of sherry. The flor (the protective yeast layer that defines fino and manzanilla) is killed early with fortification, and the wine spends years in contact with air inside the cask. That oxidation builds the nutty, leathery, savoury depth Oloroso is known for.
A first-fill Oloroso barrique holding a delicate Speyside distillate for ten full years is the kind of cask partnership that reshapes a whisky. The dry, nutty side of sherry meets Braeval’s bright orchard-fruit character and lands somewhere between dessert and dinner. Not a sherry bomb in the sticky-sweet sense. A sherry bomb with teeth.
Tasting notes
Nose
A classic sherry bomb. Bright, fruity distillate sits underneath a thick cover of rich butterscotch and sticky toffee pudding.
Palate
Rich and generous. Sticky dates, cinnamon swirl pastry, melted vanilla ice cream. The kind of palate that rewards a slow sip.
Finish
Gentle and slow to leave. Butterscotch oozes off the palate, revealing oak and the quiet waft of a spice cupboard.
Scotland’s highest distillery, ten years in first-fill Oloroso. A cask partnership that lives up to its elevation.
Specification Details
Brand Uncharted Whisky Co.
Release name “Higher Ground”
Whisky style Single malt Scotch whisky
Region Speyside, Scotland
Distillery Braeval
Age 10 years
ABV 55.0% (true cask strength)
Volume 700 ml
Maturation 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Barriques (full maturation)
Cask reference UC048
Distillation date October 14, 2014
Bottling date April 2025
Outturn 612 bottles
Non-chill filtered Yes
Natural colour Yes
In stock
