Review #804 - Brave New Spirits Auchroisk 12 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.
The bulk of the production from Auchroisk distillery goes into blends, especially examples such as J&B Rare; there's just one official bottling, a Flora & Fauna release. There is quite a bit of Auchroisk floating around the independent bottling world, though.
This example was aged for a total of 12 years; part of that time was a finishing period in a first fill Oloroso sherry barrique. This was bottled in August of 2025 at a strength of 51.4% ABV.
Brave New Spirits Auchroisk 12 Year Single Cask
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price: USD 115 (2026)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 51.4% ABV
Cask Makeup: Finished in a first fill Oloroso sherry barrique
Details: Cask #808686; distilled April 1, 2013; bottled August 30, 2025; 334 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 50% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Beef and red meat, very savory... deep dish pizza with flaky crust, then some sweetness from brown sugar and sugary malty grain. Oak builds over time.
Palate: Quite smoky, with mineral notes, charcoal, and then dark red fruits such as raspberry and cherry. It's savory like the nose, and wood smoke notes build with time.
Finish: Syrupy purple fruits of grape and blackberry, as well as beef or charred steak, and the smoke mellows out in the aftertaste.
Final Note: This supposedly isn't a peated whisky, but across those at our tasting, the consensus was clear: this was definitely a smoky whisky. Very savory, wood smoke, lots of meaty notes as well - that sherry cask did the heavy lifting here, leaving just a bit of malt character intact in the background. It's a good, punchy whisky, but not the most balanced.
Value is about average, maybe a little above for us. This single cask was very unique, though, and we like it for that - we would considering picking up a bottle.
Our Rating: 7.5 / 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: 6.17
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 Auchroisk reviews:
Review #626 - Single Cask Nation Auchroisk 11 Year Single Cask
Review #394 - SMWS 95.67 'Cosy with a Kick' - Auchroisk 16 Year
