Brora 30 Year Old - Special Releases 2010

INFORMATION

Brora 30 Year Old. Bottled by Diageo for their Special Releases in 2010. One of 3000 bottles. 70cl. 54.3%.

This 2010 Special Release was the last of the eight famous Brora 30-year-olds in Diageo’s Special Release series, an edition of 3000 bottles from a batch of ex-bourbon and sherry casks. This Brora 30-year-old clocked in at a hearty but very drinkable 54.9% and was one of the finest 30-year-olds in the series, and is one of the best examples of the late-era soft waxy, fruity Brora style, but still retains a very gentle thread of smoke.

DISTILLERY:Brora

DISTILLERY STATUS:Closed

Bottle ABV:54.3%

Bottle SIZE:70cl / 700ml

Bottle PRODUCED:3,000

BOTTLER:Distillery Bottling

SPIRIT TYPE:Scotland

LIMITED EDITION:yes

CASK TYPE:Single Malt

REGION:Highland

BOTTLING DATE::2010

AGE:30

The distillery now called Brora was known as Clynelish for most of its working life, producing a remarkable coastal Highland style lightly peated whisky with an acclaimed waxy character. Clynelish’s success led owners DCL to build a second distillery on the site in 1967, which is the Clynelish we know today. 

The original Clynelish closed briefly in 1968, but reopened the following year as Brora to make a more heavily peated malt whisky for blending purposes. Sadly the distillery was later deemed surplus to requirements and was closed in 1983. DCL’s successors Diageo announced plans to reopen Brora in 2017 and after a lengthy restoration distillation recommenced in 2021.

Any Clynelish whiskies pre-dating the 1970s are from the distillery now known as Brora, as are most if not all of the old Ainslie & Heilbron official 12-year-olds that continued into the early 1980s. The most famous modern era Brora bottlings are the 1990s Rare Malts Editions (particularly the 1972 vintages) and the Brora 30-year-olds from Diageo’s Special Releases.