Brora 35 Year Review

It grows increasingly difficult to experience spirits older than myself with every passing year. That makes for treats like this to be fewer and further between. The Brora distillery itself hasn’t produced a single drop of whisky since 1983, until Diageo restarted production in 2020. Brora traditionally was known for its heavily peated whiskies for blending, however this particular bottling is from the era in which they opted for a more delicate style more akin to the style of their region, the Highlands. It is extraordinarily fun to be able to experience a moment in history before my birth by way of a bottle serving as a time capsule.

The nose is layered and complex. Vanilla bean, butterscotch, smoked honeycrisp apples, wood spice, dried vegetation, Werther's Original candies. Opens to almost mapley notes.

The palate continues to bring great depth. Bitter orange peel, smoked fruit, iodine, subtle wood spice, wood oils, Apple crisp with vanilla ice cream, crème brûlée, custard. Opens to savory brisket notes.

The finish is long, intense, and lingering. Smoked apples, reductive orchard fruit like stewed pears, a touch of spice, and a touch savory.

Do not pass up any opportunity to try this whisky. It wont be a cheap experience, but it is a worthwhile one.

This was not a completely objective review as it was not done blind. I was aware of what I was drinking at the time of drinking it.