Brora 30 Year Old Official Bottling 2002 First Edition

The flavor is firmly rooted in the early 1970s. Brora BRORA 30 Year Old Official Bottling (52.4%) - Bottled in 2002, First Edition; one of 3000 bottles The aroma is quite cool with a slight metallic or chlorine-like note, apricot jam, ripe apple, cinnamon, a touch of honey wax, oily, earthy, and strong smoke. When tasted, it has viscosity with apricot jam, overripe apple, rich sweetness, a touch of metal, cinnamon, strong peat smoke, leaf mold, leather, oily finish with a long aftertaste, rich and lengthy. [Very Good/Excellent] This is the first official bottling of Brora 30 Year Old released in 2002, followed by annual releases thereafter. Brora from the early 1970s often exhibits a cool, dry style with metallic or chlorine-like notes and strong smoke reminiscent of Ardbeg's 1970s expressions. From around the late 1980s onward, Brora tends to show warmer characteristics with stronger apricot tea and wax notes, closer to Clydesdale. This first edition would imply distillation before 1972, but at the time of tasting, it had a slightly Clydesdale-like impression despite its specs. However, upon this tasting, while it certainly has the Clydesdale-like qualities I previously noted—viscosity, oiliness, honey wax—it also clearly exhibits the cool nuances of early 1970s Brora. It presents an earthy, leaf mold-like character and strong smoke, embodying the complex flavor profile of a well-aged Brora, with an impression of overripe fruit notes. At the time, I often drank typical early 1970s Brora single casks, so perhaps I picked up more Clydesdale-like elements, but this bottling certainly confirms the distinct Brora character. The coolness and warmth, richness and dryness coexist in a surprising balance, packed with the elements I desire in a malt. It was an exceptionally outstanding Brora. I regret not purchasing it at the time, as I now realize how high its value was.