Na Bràithrean Glentauchers 12yo
Muscat Quarter Cask | 50% ABV
Come for the whisky, stay for the people.
I believe this little catchphrase summarises perfectly what it’s all about. It’s been said many times, and apologies if you feel as if that cow has been milked dry by now, but it’s the truth. And it deserves to be said, time and again.
I’m not sure I’d even know where to begin to explain what it means to be a part of this whole thing. I know it’s hard enough to understand for my non-whisky related peers and significant others, and maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Deep down, I’m sure it doesn’t hurt having some sort of reality check built into your daily routine.
Because if not, I’m sure I could happily lose myself in all things whisky. Not the booze as such, but everything that comes with it. I’m talking about the geekery, the anorak stuff, the facts, stories and knowledge. Trying to understand, learn and comprehend as much as possible about this distilled drink – be it about the technical aspects, the history and the places where it’s made, I never get tired of learning about whisky.
It’s like a benign virus in a way, where you come to a point where you not only happily accept it takes up part of your free time, but wholeheartedly embrace it and revel in it. And what facilitates that eagerness are the people; the whisky community. I’m convinced if you weren’t all as kind-hearted and generous as you are, I wouldn’t be part of it.
I’d still enjoy my whisky, but would it also be fun? The pleasure, to quote The Whisky Friend is indeed in the sharing. And generosity is another adjective you can paint all over this little corner of the world. I’ve received countless numbers of samples over the years, gifted by people in the community who had no other motivation than wanting to share what they enjoy, and I in turn have done the same.
Ideally, we’re talking about social occasions to exchange drams, conversation, laughter and a good dose of banter, and nothing beats those moments. However, a lot of the time, the sharing of whisky involves cardboard boxes, a lot of tape and visits to the post office.
There are so many of you around the world who have become familiar names and faces, people who I talk to, chat with and text on a regular basis - friends who I actually still need to shake hands with.
Technology helps to bridge that gap, but as there won’t be a teleport device on the market any time soon, I need to up my game if I want to make more of those meet-ups and shared drinks a physical thing rather than a digital set-up.
What illustrates this wonderful community best is when someone goes that extra mile and gifts bottles of whisky. I’ve been fortunate enough to both give and receive bottles and I couldn’t tell you what makes a better experience, as they’re both heart-warming experiences. Let me ask you: How often do you find yourself in a situation where someone you’ve never even met in person is willing to spend money to not only buy you a bottle, but also take the trouble and cost to have it delivered to your doorstep?
It’s not something I’ll ever take for granted. Saying I’m grateful is an understatement and I make a point of both returning the favours and paying it forward, as positivity is contagious and a much-needed thing in today’s cynical world. So there’s no better way to celebrate the whisky community and what it represents than by reviewing a bottle that was gifted to me.
Review
Na Bràithrean Glentauchers ‘Big Brother’ 12 yo (2009-2021), 127 bottles. Portuguese Muscat red wine quarter cask, 50% ABV
£75-£80 (a community gift)
What makes it even better is this bottle is from one of Scotland’s hidden gem distilleries - and from a relatively small indie bottler. Without being gifted this bottle, there would be little chance of me ever trying it.
Glentauchers is one of those distilleries where you need to rely on indie bottlers if you want to try their liquid, as official releases are few and far between. Luckily, this backbone single malt of Ballantine’s, Teacher’s and Black & White, doesn’t come in short supply on the broker market and plenty of indie releases are available.
The USP of Na Bràithrean is a simple, yet clever one. ‘The brothers’, as the term translates from Gaelic, applies to the way they treat their whisky. Each ‘mother’ cask they purchase is split in two different ‘brother’ casks for distinctive finishes. The idea is to end up with two different whiskies which share common ground.
Nose
Stewed red fruit, like when prepping berries for making home-made jam or marmalade. Quite intense, dark honey and confectionary notes. Hazelnuts and white fruit such as apricot and peach and vanilla oil. Overall impression is that it’s sweet, dense and oily
Palate
Spicy, as in sweet baking spices. Dried red fruit, berries and blackcurrant, something herbaceous and grassy and it has a very clingy, viscous mouthfeel. Hints of oak which lead the way into a long, drying finish full of echoes of berries, vanilla, tannins and spices, with hints of cola cubes at the very end.
The Dregs
This is quite the experience. It’s big, round and bold, but never overpowering - although sometimes only just. This is the sort of whisky you think will turn out as expected, but does so in an unexpected way. It mixes things up, adds a little extra, being both familiar yet also a bit different. I was initially a bit wary I might over appreciate this one because of where it comes from, who gifted it to me and what it therefore means to me.
That’s why I’ve taken my time with this, sipped it over the course of several months, taking different notes along the way to try and make up my mind about this one regardless of the sentimental value. I think you’ll need to be on-board with the concept of wine cask finishing in order to appreciate this. If not, there’s always the ‘wee brother’ version of this which was matured solely in ex-bourbon casks, but I’m happy to conclude that it’s a cracker indeed.
Thank you! (you know who you are).
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. EA