Birthday Brora and neighbouring aperitif


September 20, 2023

Birthday Brora and neighbouring apéritif

(Do great distillates ever die?)

In a warehouse at Brora in 2013 (WF Archive)

Well, it's my birthday today. Would I ever have imagined reaching the age of thirty-seven? (yeah right, but of course...) In any case, Diageo has graced us this summer by introducing a one-of-one 50-year-old Brora 1972, which for me is the equivalent of Giant Steps or Kind of Blue. At WF, we almost never do solo tastings, I mean of a single whisky, but I've chosen to save the other not-yet-tasted Broras we have in the queue for another, more significant session that we will do here in a few weeks. Including the new Prima & Ultima, 'of course'. For now, I'll settle for tasting this brand new creature that has already caused a little bit of buzz here and there. It is a unique magnum (plus samples for some very, very kind and lucky friends) that will be auctioned off on October 5th in Edinburgh in partnership with Sotheby's, as part of the operation 'The Distillers One of One' which will 'raise vital funds to help disadvantaged young people in Scotland' of which, naturally, neither the top management nor the shareholders of Diageo are a part (now that's clever, S.). This unique magnum is expected to fetch between £200,000 and £400,000, which means that this tasting will probably be the most expensive one we'll have done this year, perhaps along with the Macallan 50 yo 1928 that we tasted a few months ago.

To be honest, I initially found the packaging, if we can call it that, a bit strange but it's my fault, foolishly I hadn't made the connection between the presentation and the name, 'Iris.' But of course, it represents the eye of a Highland wildcat, the emblem of the distillery! As soon as you know that it all becomes more beautiful... Besides, 1972 is, as we all know, the iconic vintage for Brora (and Clynelish for that matter). I've been lucky enough to taste several old 1972s from casks not yet bottled, and I can tell you that there are wonders, since this juice, although already exceptional around 20 years old as we have seen with the Rare Malts, seems to have been built for the long haul. And it can resist with great flair any cask that might try to dominate it over the years and decades. In any case, the latest 1972, the one from the famous Triptych launched to celebrate the reopening of Brora Distillery just two years ago, was as fresh as a young wild Scottish salmon (WF 96).

That said, old habits die hard, so we're still going to have one or two small apéritif, just to uphold the traditions of Whiskyfun. But that won't be Brora…

Clynelish 14 yo 'Flora & Fauna" (43%, OB, black cap, +/-1998)

Bizarrely, we've formally tried the C/S versions but never this early 14 that was soon to be replaced with the 'regular' official 14 yo at 46% vol., around 2003 if my memory serves me well. Now I've casually tried it a few times, should I add of course, and never really thought it was part of the (numerous) grand Clynelishes. In other words, a kind of under-Rare-Malts, as I remember it. Colour: light gold. Nose: there is this rather more mineral waxiness that would scream 1980s distillate, quite some chalk, crushed slate, even bandages and then rather a lot of hay, farmyard, a little lime juice, grist… Well you could say Campbeltown just as well this far. Mouth: these makes love aging in glass, apparently. The waxes are lovely, the lemons too, these green apples as well… It's got quite some soot and paraffin, and to be honest, it does not feel too light at 43%, even echoing some of the 'Old' Clynelish 12 at 40%. Quite some salt coming through too, samphire, wakame, and perhaps a few drops of crab bisque (and why not?) that remind us of Seinfeld's Soup Nazi. Great episode, that one. Finish: of good length, with a lovely mineral fatness and a perfect salinity. Comments: well, either it was one of the grandest batches, or indeed, some perfect OBE has been at play. I'm glad I've been waiting for more than 20 years before trying this old bottle that I was having in the house stash. I fondly remember the F&F 15 yo 1982, could be that this regular F&F was distilled in 1982 too.
SGP:462 - 90 points.

Second apéritif…

Clynelish 16 yo 'Four Corners of Scotland' (49.3%, OB, American oak hogsheads, 3,000 bottles, 2021)

Philosophical topic of the day, almost existential: what will be the long-term impact of Brora's reopening on Clynelish and its famous style? Open for discussion, please send your answers on a postcard. Colour: white wine. Nose: it is a much fruitier and lighter style of Clynelish, much more on plums, gooseberries, green bananas, with this typical fruitiness that comes with expressive American oak. Williams pears, acacia honey, elderflower, honeysuckle… All this with a very moderate waxiness. A tiny candle, perhaps. One of those cleaner un-gungey batches? Mouth: no wait, its more potent on the palate, rather more 'Clynelish', even if it's not a soot-and-wax bomb at all. More grasses, fruit peel, also some obvious oak/sawdust, with a slightly gritty background, while fruit eaux-de-vie would then come out, specially mirabelle and kirschwasser. No, not a wax king. Finish: medium, on similar notes. Sweet fruity oak, a little sourness in the aftertaste. Comments: very good, but I think I should have had this one before the old 14 F&F.
SGP:551 - 86 points.

Good, are we ready?

Brora 50 yo 1972/2023 'Iris' (41.8%, OB, for The Distillers One of One Charity Auction, 1 Magnum)

Not even afraid of the rather light alcohol content! Not sure whether this is from a single cask… Colour: gold. Nose: Trane and Miles, indeed. Can a whisky be creative in itself? Self-generate? Even improvise? Gain independence, distancing itself from all things vulgarly human? In any case, this juice is sumptuous; one could almost believe that aliens came to perform some magic unknown to humanity, in the warehouse, between 1972 and 2023.While everyone in that part of Sutherland was sleeping… Having said that, not sure this baby sent its whole life at the Distillery. Good, as far as descriptors go, you'd be forgiven for thinking this is a 50-year-old Ardbeg from 1972; it's incredible how much the two styles converge after so many years. I feel I should apologise to Diageo after saying that, but then again, they own a large slice of Ardbeg's ownership, so it's all kind of in the family. Band-aid, old balms and embrocations, tar extracts, castor oil, Bakelite, old ointments, floated wood, cigar ashes… and peat! They say that the peaty side of a whisky slowly fades with aging, well I'm happy to report that this is not really the case here. The tarry aspect is sublime. Mouth: It starts with an old liqueur vibe, old Tarragone Chartreuse, as well as some walnuts and small berries like rowan or serviceberry... Then this almost greasy and certainly tarry peat comes in to take over, never to let go again. There are also very charming notes of ancient apple that emerge, somewhat like those of an old cider found in a forgotten cellar. Old balms are never far away, nor are these bits of tyres, and even less so old shoe polishes. I'm also reminded of that famous Elixir of the Swede that our grandmothers used to consume a lot of, with its 60 plants and whacky substances. At this proof, this old Brora is certainly not of extreme strength, but it has retained more than enough vitality to never become 'a bit frustrating.' Never! Finish: surprisingly long and displaying that slight rustic, somewhat farm-like quality that was already present in the much younger 1972s. Now without that, it wouldn't be Brora 1972! Comments: of ultimate beauty, what great class and allure! This Brora has aged gracefully; a distillate made for the long haul, indeed. I just regret that old enthusiasts who used to love the early Broras but are no longer with us cannot taste it. Such is life, c'est la vie...
SGP:466 - 96 points.

Link to the auction Distillers One Of One

Check the index of all Brora we've tasted so far