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New Scotch Whisky Trio From Legendary Brora A Reflection Of Distillery’s Heritage

The Brora distillery, located in Scotland’s Highland whisky making region, once reigned as a proud and magnificent facility, producing a style of Scotch that was well loved. Shuttered in 1983, the bottlings of its rare spirit that are still available for sale almost always command top dollar. Current owner Diageo, in playing upon this popularity, announced back in 2017 plans to resurrect it. Now, as the time of the completion of its restoration draws near, a new and high end collection of Scotch from it has emerged.

The new Brora Triptych collection, according to those behind it, is a special, one-off release of three very rare Scotch whiskies heralding from the days when Brora was still open. They are reflective of different styles of how things were produced there, and come in a set of 500 ml bottles. As part of the offering a personal invitation from Brora’s Master Distiller Stewart Bowman to visit and experience Brora first-hand is included.

“The stories of Brora are woven into my own history and I am honoured to soon be able to share these stories with others,” said Bowman in a prepared statement. “My father was an ‘old hand’ at the distillery, and I grew up in the village with the top of the distillery’s bell-tower visible from our kitchen window. In the years after Brora’s closure, I remember my father showing me the old cask ledgers and the records of those final casks distilled in 1983 and asking if Brora would return one day.

Brora Triptych
Brora Triptych (image via Diageo)

“It fills me with great pride that thirty-eight years after the doors of Brora closed, more casks will now be filled, and we will be able to welcome people once again to this special place. It is our commitment that we will do justice to the Brora of old and hope to welcome visitors to our restored home as soon as that is possible. In the Brora Triptych, we aimed to celebrate the great whisky styles of the past for which Brora is known.”

“These are some of our very last precious relics from a Brora of bygone age,” added Master Blender Dr. Craig Wilson. “Each one represents a moment in time at the distillery and tasting these superb whiskies is to be part of a special moment in history. When selecting the casks for these rare bottlings, we wanted to celebrate those distinct characteristics that define Brora, and those that we seek to uphold as we begin a new chapter in its story.”

The three releases are as follows:

  • The first in the Brora Triptych, Elusive Legacy, is a 48-Year-Old and the oldest ever public release from the distillery. A very rare style from casks of 1972, this whisky represents an earthy expression of Brora, much sought after as it was only created in short periods throughout the distillery’s history. Warm chestnut in colour, there is a delicate aroma which blends wood spice with hints of peach tarte tatin, amidst a powerful rich maltiness.
  • The second, Age of Peat, is a 43-Year-Old heavily peated expression drawn from casks of 1977. This is a classic Brora style from the late 70’s, and one of the only examples of a highly-peated Highland whisky from that era. The few casks that were left from this phase matured remarkably well and the whisky is multi-layered and complex. Intensely deep and golden, this expression is elegant on the nose with creamy vanilla invigorated by freshly cut green apples and hints of beeswax, before a long, sweet finish of peat-fired smokiness.
  • Finally, Timeless Original, is a 38-Year-Old, from limited stocks of 1982 and represents the distinct waxiness that made Brora famous. This more modern and refined style returns to lower peating levels, reflective of Brora whisky before the Age of Peat. Glowing yellow gold in hue, sherberty lemon peel, and a touch of fresh green grass dance on the nose.

They each come housed in crystal bottles completed with Glencairn crystal stoppers, and the collection as a whole rests in a special ash wood presentation cabinet that was crafted by Master Cabinetmaker and Royal Warrant Holder N. E. J. Stevenson. The price for each set, available in mid-May, is £30,000, or slightly over $41,200 USD.

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