Brora – 1978 40 Year Old 200th Anniversary (70cl, 49.2%)

Brora – 1978 40 Year Old 200th Anniversary is a whisky from Brora (Highland). Aged 40 years, bottled at 49.2% ABV, 70cl. Built in 1819 and originally named Clynelish, Brora is one of Scotland’s Highland Clearance Distilleries. Built by the Duke of Sutherland as part of his new business enterprise, which brutally evicted some 15000 farmers from their homes as part of a cruel economic experiment that was happening all over the Highlands. Despite this somewhat inauspicious birth, the distillery eventually found its feet and by 1930 was owned by John Walker and DCL. With the demand for blends skyrocketing after World War 2, production was at an all time high and in 1967 the decision was taken to replace it with a newer, larger distillery next door (which for the time being was known as Clynelish 2). This wasn’t the end for the distillery though. After just a year of silence, production resumed at the old site making peated whisky to cover a shortfall during Caol Ila’s reconstruction, and in 1975 it was officially named Brora (because frankly having two distilleries with the same name was just stupid). Sadly it didn’t last, and in 1983 the distillery finally closed. Casks still remain slumbering in their warehouses, and are drip fed to the market in the form of Diageo’s Special Releases and the occasional indy bottling. This bottle celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Brora has been matured for 4 decades and is a fantastically fruity dram with a rich nose that is darkly sweet, turning savoury with subtle smoke. With only 1819 bottles released in honour of the year of the distillery’s opening, this isn’t one to miss!