Brora 25 (7th Release)

Thanks to /u/whisky_lads for this sample.

I’m not 100% sure this is what it says it is. I’m a creep, tried finding it out. Can’t talk to the guy, he’s gone. I say you he’s gone!

So I accept if he comes forward and says this isn’t what it says on the sample.

Two months ago I had never had a Brora from my birth year. Now, at this point, this is my third.

My life is weird.

Also I’m really shitty at hiding my bragging.

Brora 25 (7th Release) is an interesting sample. The distillery wouldn’t be known to us at all if it hadn’t been closed down.

You see, outside of Italy and Scotland, everyone drank blends. And that’s okay. A blend can be expertly made to be everything you want it to be. Which is pretty amazing.

So when the bust happened in the 80s, and other bad things happened, it meant that a giant amount of malt that was sitting around, waiting for blenders to use it, wasn’t being used. And then in 1989, Brora’s first single malt was bottled by some upstarts called the Single Malt Whisky Society.

Those crazy kids.

So the reason we have these single malts, and get to enjoy them, is because of a rough time. And then in the 90s it got better again. You know, like music.

And thus you have Brora, which at the time of this one being released (2008), it was Jim Murray’s Scotch of the Year in their respective categories, two years in a row.

Yes, it’s coloured. Which is sad. But I’m going to keep going on this one. I’ll take the bullet. No need to feel bad for me.

Sarcasm I’m okay at, in comparison to hiding bragging.

Let’s see how this tastes, shall we?

Price: N/A in Ontario

Region: Highland

Bottled: 2008

Cask Types: Sherry and ex-Bourbon

Number of bottles: 3,000

Abv: 56.3%

Colour: 7.5Y 9/6

Nose: Honey cruller, Twizzlers, anise, peach, ginger, grape, coconut, chemical

Odd nose. Which is normal.

I always get this yeast, sweet, doughnut flavour from Brora. It’s always there. I can see why blenders wanted it. Who doesn’t love doughnuts?

Lots of spice. The sherry casks are evident here. There’s a chemical note in the background. It’s not ruining things, but… it’s certainly not helping.

Taste: Lemon meringue pie, cinnamon oatmeal, black pepper, walnut oil, strawberry

Here we go. Odd notes. What I came to Brora for.

Nutty, sherry influence, and lots of butter, eggy notes. Cereal, spice, it’s all blending nicely. Granted some notes aren’t totally nice to one another, but overall a really nice dram with big flavours.

Finish: Peach syrup, butter bread, cherry, cinnamon butter, lime zest, ginger ale

Ends with the yeast and butter, now together. The spice keeps up, fruit is there, and pops of big flavours.

Medium length finish. Really tasty. Wish it was longer.

Shit originally wrote that as younger. Damn I’m tired.

Conclusion: Less nose, big flavours, great amount of flavours and really punches above it’s weight class. Honestly, every single Brora I have is unique. I’m glad they have been given the time to grow and make for some interesting malts.

Maybe they made some stuff outside of 1982? Nah, probably not. Was a good year, after all.

Gotta work on hiding that bragging thing again.

85/100

Scotch review #562, Highland review #97, Whisky Network review #926