Review by: dustbunna

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I’m making an exception to my usual tendency to review full bottles. My wife and I bought a house this year, and I was given an ounce of this as a housewarming gift. This is a whisky that, these days, is entirely beyond what I could reasonably afford—Brora is a distillery I had written off as impractical for me to access, so it was quite a pleasant surprise to have the opportunity. Rested for 40 minutes before tasting.

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Distillery: Brora.

Bottler: Distillery bottling (though the distillery’s been closed for decades, so maybe better described as their overlord’s bottling?)

Region: Highland.

ABV: 50.4%.

Age: 37 years. Distilled in 1977. Bottled in 2015.

Cask type: Refill American oak hogsheads.

Price: I don’t want to know.

Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: green melon, paraffin, gentle smoke, mint leaf, hay, green apple, a bit of mechanic’s grease, clean wool, with water grape must, oolong tea, dried orange and lemon peels, various minerals and waxes, time reveals kirsch, cigar tobacco, and a bit of the farminess I’ve heard so much about.

Palate: thick and oily ~ more paraffin, hay, earth, distant burning leaves, white grapes, an effervescence like seltzer, wet rocks, water accentuates the fruit and minerals.

Finish: very long ~ more mint and earth, old papers, more green apple, lemon, echoes for minutes after swallowing and leaves behind an oily coating.

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Conclusion: Okay, yeah, I get the hype. Superb whisky, astounding nose in particular but very harmonious on the palate and seeming to contain a little bit of everything in perfect balance. Even someone as wax-blind as myself can appreciate all the waxiness here, and the fruits, minerals, smoke and earth all hang together and complement one another. A brilliant one to end the year, my favorite whisky of 2023.

Final Score: 96.

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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.