Following yesterday’s 25yo Brora and with the premium theme for the last week of 2015, here’s another Brora review, but this time it’s the 2013 Special Releases edition that was bottled five years later in 2013. Although only five years has passed between the bottles, this one contains whisky distilled in 1977 and so we got ‘extra’ 5 years 🙂

It’s a vatting of refill American Oak and European Oak casks and 2944 bottles were made in this round at a lower than usual strength of 49.9%.

Brora 35 Year Old (2013 Special Releases) (49.9%,£750/£900/€1.099,99)

Nose: Just like the 25 yo this one carries too the Brora classic profile. I guess they work hard to retain it when vatting the casks for the annual special releases and it’s working for them. It’s sweeter, fresher and more friendly than the 25, gentle whiffs of smoke, fruity with a lot of peaches, wax, earthy, honey. Just plain gorgeous.

Palate: Unlike the 25 yo it’s coastal with sea breeze and salt, lemon, peat smoke, very mild ashes, wax and then fruit notes along with some eucalyptus.

Finish: Long dry finish with oak wood spices, smoke, lemon and slight honey sweetness.

Thoughts: I can’t really find any fault with the whisky here (price notwithstanding), it’s a pure enjoyable Brora.