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

This is a 40 year old Brora, bottled for the distillery's 200th anniversary, in a 70cl bottle at 49.2% ABV. The 1978 on the label points to whisky made before the distillery closed in 1983. Brora was established in 1819 as Clynelish. It was mothballed in 1931, restarted in 1938 and took the Brora name after Clynelish B opened beside it. Work to update the distillery began in 2019, and the first new distillation followed in May 2021. The nose is lightly coastal, with sweet smoke, toffee, spice and rich fruit cake. The palate is smooth and fruity, with sweet spice, cracked pepper, soft mint and salted caramel, and the finish is lingering and fruity.