Brora 1972 30 Year Old Sherry Cask Old Rare Platinum

Brora 1972 30 Year Old Sherry Cask

• Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• Douglas Laing

70cl / 49.7%

A legendary bottling of 1972 vintage Brora from independent bottlers Douglas Laing as part of their Platinum Selection series. This bottling was awarded an incredible average of 94 points from eight of the malt maniacs. Serge Valentin described this one as having notes of salted butter caramel, liquorice and ginseng honey.

Further, Nose: there’s much less sherry than in the 1972 but rather more smoke, wax, vanilla and herbal notes, which makes me think of a strongly peated Clynelish if you see what I mean, with also something of the ‘old’, pre-Brora Clynelish. Ooh, this is complicated, isn’t it! It is not as farmy as the first 30yos and rather cleaner, coated with a little more vanilla, notes of fresh walnuts and some medicinal notes ala old Laphroaig (embrocations, gauze). Brora 1972 30 Year Old Sherry Cask Old Rare Platinum

Meanwhile, The smokiness fades away a bit after quite some minutes, leaving room for more fresh fruits such s white peaches and gooseberries. With water: becomes a little grassier as often. Rather less smoke, rather more wax, even more ‘Clynelish’. Wet rocks, whiffs of seaweed. Mouth (neat): powerful, the first thing I’m thinking of is some kind of mildly smoked fruits. Gooseberries again, apples, a little lemon… Rather less smoky than on the nose, and less waxy too, that is to say a little less ‘Brora’ globally – so far. A lot of liquorice. With water: superb now, with a perfect coherence and compactness. Brora 1972 30 Year Old Sherry Cask Old Rare Platinum

In conclusion, A little mustard coming through, the obvious waxiness is back, herbal liqueurs, cough sweets, some marzipan, playful notes of juicy apples (granny smith?) and quite some ash. Finish: long, saltier, more on lemon, almonds and a little green tea. The wood is perfect. Comments: there’s much more peat smoke on the nose than on the palate. A very interesting Brora halfway between the early 70s’ austere majesty and the 80s’ waxy fruitiness. In a certain way, it reminds me of the old 20yo 1975 Rare Malts but with more fruits. Excellent once