Review by: Raygun

Been over 8 years since I posted my first Scotch review and now I’m at #500. No chance I’ll catch up to Serge anytime soon (or ever), but it’s a milestone for me and I wanted to mark the occasion. Tasting through a few hundred whiskies has expanded my knowledge significantly. While I still have a lot to learn, I’ve come a long way since the beginning, in no small part to the community of people I found. So I wanted to thank everyone who shared their knowledge, told me about things to try, or provided some of the whisky that made these reviews possible. It’s a cliche, but also true: it’s the people you meet that make the difference. Without whisky friends, I’d have more money, but be poorer in other ways. 

By chance, I discovered 200, 300, and 400 were all Islay, so I thought I’d mix it up with a Highland this time. Taking the opportunity to double the number of Broras I’ve tried. Courtesy of an extremely generous friend, I was gifted a set of samples from one of the virtual masterclasses from the 2021 Whisky Show: Old and Rare run by The Whisky Exchange. A set of six drams selected by Angus MacRaild, Jonny McMillan, and Sukinder Singh. Brora is of course the now legendary distillery that closed in 1983 and recently reopened. This was distilled in 1978, after Brora was used to make heavily peated whisky. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 30 minutes.

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Distillery: Brora 

Bottler: Brora, Diageo Special Release

Region/style: Highland single malt Scotch

ABV: 54.7%. Cask strength. 

Age: 32 years. Distilled in 1978, bottled on May 25, 2011. 

Cask type: Refill American and European oak casks 

Color: 0.9 amontillado. Natural color. Non-chill-filtered.

Price: About 3 grand from a store, £1500 on auction

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Nose: Maybe not a heavily peated run, but the peat is unmistakably there. Grilled chicken, lemon, and Middle Eastern spices. Not as industrial as I’ve heard Brora can be, but there’s a little dirty funk to it.     

Palate: Intense, in many ways. Grilling chicken outdoors while squeezing lemon over it. In fact, Persian grilled chicken: that’s what it reminds me of. Smoky, slightly sweet, and lemony. Basted with butter. Served with nan (not Persian, I know, but that’s what it tastes like). Has a more desserty side too, with orange, vanilla cream, and honey.

Finish: Buttery again. Less savory. Almonds, sugar cookies with orange and lemon zest. Hints of fruit: Asian pear and jackfruit. Softer here, and not as long as I’d expect. 

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Conclusion: I didn’t quite get the hype with my first Brora. Now I do. There is a lot going on here, and not many whiskies can pull off this sort of combination so well. I like that the peat doesn’t dominate, but accents the other flavors. I don’t often get put in mind of a specific dish, but this really takes me back to Persian grilled chicken. Which is delicious, so I’m not complaining. If I had to nitpick, the finish isn’t up to par with the rest of the dram. Keeps it from a 10 for me.   

Buy a bottle? Would violate my personal policy: don’t spend more than a mortgage payment on a bottle. 

Score: 92

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)