There’s something special about the Brora whiskies, they seem to have a bit of a cult status. The distillery has been closed since 1983, so the Brora whiskies are hard to find and quite expensive. Once in a while a new release pops up, but that was just about it. And next to that they are often very good. You can imagine it is very popular amongst whisky enthusiasts en collectors. This Brora 1981 24 year old is part of the Signatory Vintage cask strenght collection.
The Brora 1981 has matured in a sherry butt for 24 years and was distilled on 1-12-1981, bottled on 28-04-2006 at 59,3% abv. Cask no. 1517. And last but not least, it is natural coloured.
Brora 1981 24 year old tasting notes:
Nose: First thing that comes to my mind is beeswax. Coastal influences. Then you get some red fruit, like cherries and strawberries, but also a bit of tropical fruit like melon. A bit of sweet honey, raisins, maple syrup and in the background there is a fresh sea breeze with lemon.
Taste: It’s a bit oaky at first, then some lovely chocolate, it is nutty as well. The red fruit is there too, but less. With water you get more of the beeswax and some coastal influences, brine and minerals. The fruit and oak dissapear to the background. And later I also get some sugared biscuits and Toffifee. The sharpness is gone. It has a thick and oily mouthfeel.
Finish: Medium length, dark fruit and Earl Grey tea.
This is absolutely delicious! I love the taste of it, but I think the nose is slightly better, but this is just posturing. 😉 With water the sherry influences dissapear to the background and the taste get’s fresher. Don’t rush it with this one, it needs some time to open up. The longer it stands the more it reveals.
