Review #801 - Brave New Spirits Dailuaine 13 Year Single Cask
In March 2026, we had a chance to attend a tasting with Brave New Spirits, an independent bottler, as they launched their products in the United States. This Glasgow-based bottler was established in 2020, and they focus on bottling Scotch whiskies; they're also building Witchburn distillery in Campbeltown. Our tasting centered around releases in their 'Cask Masters' line - this is 1 of 6 reviews from the launch.
Dailuaine is a single malt that we generally only see via independent bottlers - there are occasional releases such as Flora & Fauna and a couple of Diageo Special Releases, but otherwise, there's no core range from this distillery to speak of. It's a spirit with great weight and potential for aging in a variety of cask types, and luckily, there's plenty of it floating around the IB world.
While much of the Cask Masters line from Brave New Spirits focuses on sherry maturation or finishing, this Dailuaine keeps things straightforward with a full maturation in a first fill ex-bourbon cask. It was distilled in 2012 and bottled in 2025 at 13 years old; we get a pleasant bottling strength of 51.8% ABV.
Brave New Spirits Dailuaine 13 Year Single Cask
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price: USD 114 (2026)
Age Statement: 13 Years
Strength: 51.8% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon hogshead
Details: Cask #300700; distilled April 10, 2012; bottled May 16, 2025; 255 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 50% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Honey-coated cereal grains, quite malty, and we get some lighter floral scents like lavender. Hay and dried grass... it smells quite 'golden' in color.
Palate: More honey and oats, cinnamon spice, and then sweet flavors of vanilla and cream. There's a starchy side to the oak, and it's a little bit simple, but nicely warming.
Finish: Very floral and bright - lavender, perfume. It's sweet with vanilla and light lemon candies, but there's good weight to the spirit in the background.
Final Note: This is a solid Dailuaine, one that shows that classic malty character with the nice spirit density behind it. It isn't the most complex pour, but it has those floral notes and a few sweet baking flavors that this make is known for. Value is okay, just a little below average; this has a decent age statement from a distillery that isn't the easiest to find, and we like it for that.
Our Rating: 7.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.78
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Dailuaine reviews:
Review #477 - SMWS 41.160 'What a Combination' - Dailuaine 12 Year
Review #465 - Signatory Vintage Dailuaine 13 Year Single Cask (2007)
Review #414 - SMWS 41.127 'Mind That Big Ginger Fae' Moffat!' - Dailuaine 13 Year
Review #66 - SMWS 41.147 'Brooding Armchair Dram' - Dailuaine 15 Year
