Brora 25 Year (1975) McGibbon’s Provenance

Review by: The Muskox

Dram 6 of the week, and #2 of night 2. You know that you’re having a good week of whisky drinking when a ’75 Brora seems like “just another dram”. That Longmorn is a hard act to follow… I think this has as good a shot as anything to knock it off the top.

Distillery: Brora.

Bottler: Douglas McGibbon.

Region: Highlands.

ABV: 43%.

Age: 25 years. Distilled in autumn 1975. Bottled in winter 2001.

Cask type: Unknown.

Price: N/A. $37 CAD for a pour at the bar.

Color: Light gold. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

Nose: Whoa, you can smell this from across the bar. Instantly recognizable. Earthy – strong farmyard, plus potting soil and fresh compost. Beeswax and nougat. Pina colada and creamy vanilla. A bit of a sarsaparilla note too. Salty and mineral. After a while there’s wrought iron, Fig Newtons, and something lightly vegetal and swampy. Very mild earthy peat.

Palate: Fairly light texture, though still oily. Arrives very sweet, with mango slices, various jams, citrus peels and creamy vanilla. Some salt too. It takes a moment for the festivities to really get going – here comes grilled vegetables, chipotles, and grilled corn tortillas(??). Star anise and cloves.

Finish: Long and shifting. Citrus zest, flowers, swamp grass, and tropical fruit. Pine and eucalyptus. Slightly earthy and farmy again. Just a hint of campfire.

Possible SMWS bottling name: “Bovine University”

Conclusion: A classic Brora, which is to say that it’s fantastic. The nose was enormous for a 43% whisky. The palate was a little on the thin side, but only relative to the other (ridiculously good) whiskies we had that night. Is it better than the ’81 Brora I had a few months ago? That one had a legit 10/10 nose, this one was punchier but not as complex. I think this Provenance has a slightly better finish. It might the ’81 still pulls ahead.

This was possibly the worst whisky of the night.

Final Score: 91.

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.

Leave a comment