3rd September 2013 |
Brora 35 Year
Old
From the now closed distillery at Brora on
the Scottish Highland east coast, this
Brora 35 year old is the
twelfth limited release in Diageo
popular series of annual
special releases. This annual allocation of Brora
has extended the availability of this
irreplaceable malt but stocks are now
depleted, so get it while you can. I am
told it is a classic Brora that is sure
to please Brora fans.
Aged for 35 years in refill American Oak and European Oak casks
filled in 1977 then bottled
at a strength of
49.9% ABV, it is a limited edition of
only 2,944 individually numbered bottles
worldwide and has a RRP of £750.
Brora 35 Year Old Tasting Notes
Producer's Tasting Notes:
Appearance:
Appearance: Yellow gold or polished
brass. Lightly oily.
Nose:
Initially clean, fresh and bracing; then
warming, developing depth and richness.
Creamy top notes of warm scented wax or
vanilla-custard float above a herbal
note (basil?) and a sharper, cereal
base, all suffused with just a thread of
smoke. The nutty, waxy notes sweeten
into honeycomb and toasted coconut. The
sea appears very late, as a fresh sea
breeze. Adding a little water softens
the impact and brings up the scented
wax, with honey and lemongrass subduing
the more subtle vanilla aromas.
Body:
Light and softly coating.
Palate:
Good texture and a surprising taste:
much sweeter than you expect from the
nose, and much more smoky, with a most
attractive tongue-coating smoothness. A
leafy hint of fresh picked strawberry
introduces lemon zest and candied peel
to set the tongue tingling. Then damp
beach notes of wood, sand and sea air
round off a beautifully balanced palate.
With water added this is a very
easy-drinking, rewarding dram: fuller in
texture than when at full strength, it
is also less sweet, becoming mouth
drying, cleansing and softly smoky.
Finish:
Coating, chewy and softly drying, with
minty chocolate (after-dinner mints).
Wood smoke lingers in the complex, fresh
and spicy conclusion.
Summary:
A Brora classic: a mature, sweetly
pleasing, tongue-coating, softly smoky
malt that rewards deep study, evoking a
tranquil beach scene rather than the
drama of the high seas. Fans of Brora
will not be disappointed by this superb,
comforting, old-fashioned whisky. |
Other Diageo 2013 Special Releases
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tasting notes.
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Releases
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to you:
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