A classic: Brora 24 Years in Diageo’s Rare Malts series.
Brora 24 yo 1977
(56,1%, Rare Malts 2001, +/- 6000 btl.)
Brora 24 yo 1977Nose: not as bold as I expected, and more in the Clynelish ballpark. Fairly dry, malty start, then moving towards coastal notes and slightly sweet, earthy peat. Not really farmy. Hints of grassy pepper and shoe polish, waxy notes, moss, sharper floral herbs, maybe chamomile, mint and a whiff of vanilla. Some apples and clementine in the background. Complex.
Mouth: Clynelish fruits again (round apples, waxy orange peel, citrus sherbet) with this fatty texture and clear hint of candlewax. Light hoppy notes before it gets peatier and sharper, on pepper, salt and seaweed. Oak spices and floral honey. Nice fruity flashes coming by.
Finish: long, with light smoke, salty notes and a mustardy sharp edge.
My 22nd Brora (with notes) and a very good one, though more lean, less wild than the best bottlings from this distillery. Halfway between Clynelish and the early ‘70s Brora profile. Always nice to revisit this. Still available from The Whisky Exchange.
Score: 92/100