Taster

Nose: Dry, vegetal. Seaweed. Sea air.

Palate: Firm, malty background. Becoming grainy, earthy, tar-like and chewy. Then dry, smoky and sandy.

Finish: Salty. Peppery. Mustardy too. A long, powerful assault from the spice-rack.

Comment: A good example of Brora as a distinctive maritime malt. Very appetising indeed, but quite different from Talisker, for example.

Score: 8.5

Taster

Nose: Pungent, rich, oily. Peaty but also a lifted, almost floral top note. BIG. Chocolate and cream. Robustly elegant and increasingly complex as it opens.

Palate: A lovely mix of sweet and dry flavours. Very rich and mouth-coating. Almost briny: nuts, lemon, oil and gentle smoke underneath. Has weight and power.

Finish: Slight peppery kick.

Comment: A richly-flavoured malt with a punchy delivery. Another silent still. Bloody typical!

Score: 9