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Brora 35 Year Old
Appearance
Pale yellow gold with moderate, lingering beading.
Body
Medium to light.
Nose
Cautious and subtle, briefly savoury with notes of dry salt in an aroma which somehow combines old-fashioned canvas tents with juicy fruit compote! Melted candlewax becomes the key scent, with a whiff of fragrant smoke. Then, quickly, sharp, sweet high notes of ripe red apples, pears and pear drops, broadening to glazed red berries in patisserie. Grainy, clean, fresh and focused. Eventually subtle, with sweet smoke, honey, lemon zest and barley sugar. Classic at reduced strength, with scents of apricot or moorland floating above a slightly waxy base.
Palate
Cooling, then surprisingly vibrant and hot; lightly oily, but not as waxy as some expressions. Light sweetness, with ripe autumn fruits, then distinctly salty, with some smoke behind. Things grow pleasingly coating, with more smoky notes and a little chocolate cake. Water brings out the classic Brora virtues; now it’s lightly waxy, chewy, sweet and tangy, still with some salt, and more rounded overall.
Finish
Peppery-hot, tongue-tingling and sharply warming. Drying, supple oak with cinnamon, mint and pine resin give over to a memory of the coast: distant sand, fresh ozone and smoke.