Loch Fyne Whiskies Stocks ‘Brora 1981 30yo Chieftain’s

‘Brora Chief 1981 30yo 50%alc.

(These notes by the Joynson himself)…Output from Brora in its final years was very variable; typically peaty; there are also many offerings with no peat. I suspect it was unloved because it was due to be condemned and the workers treated it with some disdain. Nowadays no distillery is loved more than Brora and, like Sid Vicious’ terminal career move, it’s closure may have been the best thing that happened to it. Discuss.

Anyway how about this Chieftain’s bottling from a sherry butt? Well it’s amber in colour, we can see that.

I have copious tasting notes to transcribe for you: Peat, then sulphur notes (as fishy exhaust fumes) and then peaty again. Once the peat is assimilated, estery notes rise as raisins and banana particularly comes to dominate. With time the peat returns as definite yet light; my notes say ‘roasting fires’, perhaps someone can explain that to us all? The aroma with water added changes it dramatically, starched, fresh linen, peat and cocoa, a low level but nice peat.

Tasted it is surprisingly sweet!! It’s soft and well balanced with a caramel syrup. Adding water releases the peat into the embouchure.

To surmise: a sweet and softly peaty dram that engages the drinker to have some more. Please enjoy, responsibly.

G8 on the Flavour Map, Complex, Rich and Smoky.

Distilled: December 1981
Bottled: April 2012
Limited to 553 bottles from Butt # 1525

Best regards,
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk