The Brora 35 Year 2012 Limited Edition (50 ml __ the Explora mini))

Tasting notes:
     The first thing we noticed about this dram was the curious creature on the label.  Is it a bobcat?  A honey badger?  Or, perhaps fittingly, it’s something extinct.  But less fittingly, the creature is in a defensive posture.  Let me tell you, this Brora expression has all the moxie it needs to defend itself without the need for a pose. 
     On the nose we get lemon wedges held under the armpits for a strange 35 K walk-run fundraiser.  Then boxing gloves, craft paper, and a hint of smoke.  Think of someone running by without realizing the Olympic torch she holds was snuffed out miles earlier.  There is a very refined citrus glaze encasing the nose like Shock G‘s from Digital Underground on the “Humpty Hump” track.  Just as we’d expect, the mouth is incredible.  I want to say that there are notes of fruit leather but I’m compelled to say that it’s more leather fruit.  A pomegranate saddle tied down with thick, jute cords on an unbroken stallion.  On the finish we realize how much gold there is underneath the charcoal.  I feel like a large wave is carrying me out to sea.  Carrying me on one of those memory foam mattress pad/bed topper things.  But it’s only good memory memory foam, with the embarrassing stuff graciously forgotten.  It’s what the wars would have been in The Godfather if they had gone to the mattresses on these.  When the whisky runs dry far too soon, I want to put the entire glass in my mouth and run face first into a door so I can suck on the shards like beautiful lozenges.

–On the scale of meteorological events that inspire wonder–
The Brora 35 Year 2012 Limited Edition is the Aurora Brorealis  [Bill: Um, John?  That’s Borealis]–Fitting that one of the northernmost distilleries should have the scientific name for “the northern lights” named after it.  [Stephen: “John! It’s not named after the whisky!”]

  

Our thanks to Leah Eagel, Alex Conway and Diageo for the sample!