Scotch Review #76: Brora 30 Year Cask Strength (2009 Release)

Distillery: Brora

Region: Highland

ABV: 53.2%

Age: 30 Year

Price: $50/dram

Color: 0.8, Deep Gold. 1, 2

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Nose: (According to the wife) Old wood, a bit of charcoal, and some smoldering peat. (According to me) There’s a lot going on in this. There’s some fruit in the form of lemon zest and a bit of pineapple along with some smoldering firewood and a bit of peat all wrapped up with something sweet. There’s a funny note that reminds me a lot of Simple Green as well.

Palate: The palate is beautifully creamy and has a wonderful mouthfeel that’s thick but not overly so. Sweet, slightly smokey, peat is joined by lemons, a hint of pineapple, some candied ginger, brown sugar, and toasted nuts. Fantastic.

Finish: It’s a bit short in the mouth but it really lingers down the throat and the chest. Crystallized ginger and soaked wood are the main notes that stick out. On the very tail end, there is a nice floral tea note that wraps this all up in a slightly dry fashion.

Conclusion: This lovely dram is one I’ve had the pleasure of trying twice and this review is actually a mix of both of those occasions. The first time was on my own, the second time was with the wife in celebration of my birthday. I’ve been saving this one until I reached review #100. I can’t believe I’ve gotten this far with this. Thanks to everyone who has read these! Now for the whisky: the first word to pop into my head was WOW. I haven’t had the chance to try a Brora dram before and I was really surprised to find this lovely bottle. It is absolutely delicious. The lemon and pineapple play so well with the sweet, aged peat and smoke. The candied ginger is fantastic, I love that little bit of brown sugar and toasted nuts toward the tail end of the palate. And the finish. Oh my. It gives that lovely lingering sensation down the throat and the chest and just when you think you’ve had enough, the floral tea note wraps it all up nicely. I really wanted to just down the rest of the bottle right then and there but I guess I’ll just have to go back for more. Would I buy a bottle? If I could find one, absolutely. But with this bottling being 10 years old on its own, I highly doubt anything from old Brora will find its way into my liquor cabinet anytime soon. It is, easily, the best whisky I’ve ever had the pleasure of trying. I would give it a 100/100…but I’m giving myself a bit of breathing room with a 98.

Scotch whisky review #76, Highland review #19, Whisky Network Review #100

Final Score: 98.

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Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.