Review by: The Muskox

Here was the star of my group’s tasting – the whisky that went toe-to-toe with a Murray McDavid ’83 Clynelish and handily… lost? That can’t be right…

Brora is always a treat. This bottling comes from the last stage of the distillery’s life, and is not as peated as 70s or 60s Brora.

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Distillery: Brora

Bottler: Signatory Vintage

Region: Highlands

ABV: 43%

Age: 19 Years. Distilled June 11th 1981. Bottled October 9th 2000.

Cask type: Cask #1084, a (presumably refill) sherry butt.

Price: N/A, sample from tasting.

Color: Light gold. Natural colour, un-chillfiltered.

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Nose: Superlatively complex. There’s an amazing sweet-savoury vegetal character – artichoke, roasted brussels sprouts, maybe even some fried onions – that’s familiar from the 35. Lemon drops, tangerine peel, key lime zest, crisp sweet apples, a little honey. Smooth maplewood smoke. Steely, industrial, basalt gravel, birch bark, seashore, and grilled trout. Buttered sourdough. Tobacco and woody spice, with hints of walnut and baking chocolate. After some time, jasmine, peppermint, dandelions, habanero, and Darjeeling tea. Half-rotted wooden furniture and mossy rainforest floor. An all-time nose.

Palate: Medium-light, very slightly oily. Arrives with lime and paraffin, sunflower seeds, and some honey, developing to barnyard, hay, peat, graphite, and fired clay. More peat here, subtle and silky smoke at first, getting more earthy and carbolic. Deep barley sugar, peanut brittle, orchard fruits and honey. Underlying saltiness.

Finish: Medium-long. Lingering peat. Earthy notes of wet stones, nori, and toasted celery. Citrus peels, nectarine, pears, and honey. Rosehips.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Post-industrial farmers’ market & ecopark”

Conclusion: There’s really nothing like Brora. At least having tried the 35, I now have a frame of reference. This might be better than the 35? It’s maybe more likeable, more instantly delicious… the flavours are a little less obtuse, and it doesn’t need the same warm-up time. That said, it of course lacks the punch of a cask-strength whisky, and especially towards the finish things lighten up a little quickly. Still, this is a phenomenally good whisky. The nose is maybe the best I’ve come across, ever, ever. Endless complexity, so much flavour. Needless to say, I did not agree with the group majority who preferred the Clynelish.

Final Score: 92.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.