Brora 37 Year

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The 14th annual release of Brora is one of the oldest, not a surprising fact given the distillery has now been closed for 33 years and counting. Distilled in 1977 an bottled at 50.4% the whisky was matured in American Oak, with just 2976 bottles released World Wide. KWM is getting just 6 bottles and at the tim of writing 4 of them are spoken for.

 

Tasting Note by Dave Broom

Nose: A clean and, on first meeting, a low-peat Brora. There’s a background note of sweet new leather, waxed paper and a lightly briny/halibut oil element. It has the pleasant, slightly faded quality of very old whiskies. With a drop of water, some spent bonfire, sweet cicely and a sharp fruit vinegar note moving inexorably towards waxiness.

Palate: Slightly more smoky than the nose, with that sharp note now coming across as whitecurrant. When reduced, there are touches of melon, pear, a little grassiness and a gentle, oxidised cask influence.

Finish: Gently fading. Conclusion: Elegant and graceful. You know it’s limited, you know it’s finite, you know there is huge demand. The price is therefore set accordingly. Different rules are now applying to these sorts of whiskies.”

Tasting Note by Serge at Whisky Fun: !!!95pts!!!High expectations, high expectations… Especially since the 35 yo bottled in 2013 was a 1977 as well, and fetched a well-deserved 95 points mark in my little book. Colour: gold. Nose: Brora seems to be indestructible. I can well imagine in 2037, on Whiskyfun, a 65 years old 1972 Special Release being tasted. Stocks are said to be low, but they always said that, and they still managed to vat around ten casks this year. The result is amazing, curiously softer than the G&M and more herbal, more coastal as well, and perhaps a little smokier too. Less sherry for sure, so less tobacco and chocolate. There are the trademark farmy touches (hay), then oysters and chartreuse, then more resinous notes, between pinesap and artisan absinth. Astounding complexity, as expected. With water: superb sappy oil extracts. Old candle, linoleum, bandages, embrocations, verbena, wormwood… and mud. Mouth (neat): huge, ashy, almost drying, in a good way. This one reminds us that 1977 was still a peaty year at Brora. More absinth, tarry smoke, liquorice, salted fish, with a mouth feel that’s becoming oilier and creamier. Touches of salted chestnut honey, which gives it a Chinese side, in a way. Huge whisky. With water: exceptional. Dry, coastal, liquoricy, herbal, both fat and chiselled. The best cough syrup ever. Finish: perhaps not extremely long, but all these herbs, liquorice and cough drops just work in sync. It’s the freshness that’s most impressive. Comments: one of 2015’s grands crus, no doubt, together with some of the Karuizawas. Hey, next time, could someone sell a blend of Karuizawa and Brora? You could call it either Karuibrora or Brorazawa. I’m sure that would make it to 97 points if it’s well made, serious. Hint, hint, John Glaser… In any case, this one beats last year’s in my book."

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