Brora comes of age: A new era for the former ghost distillery
Three years since its much-awaited reopening, renowned Single Malt producer Brora is marking a watershed moment in its history with the release of a second distillery exclusive bottling
Words: Aobh O'Brien-Moody
Photography: Max Budny
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Brora’s distillery's tale is a centuries-old epic that continues to captivate whisky connoisseurs the world over. The beloved Highland distillery’s history has been marked by many special moments, this current one included: for the first time in over forty years, Brora whisky has come of age.
To fully appreciate the significance of this new phase, one must reflect on the distillery’s storied legacy. Brora was established in 1819, under the name ‘Clynelish’. When demand for whisky in the post-war period skyrocketed, an adjacent distillery – also known as Clynelish – was opened in 1968 to increase capacity. This prompted the original distillery to be renamed ‘Brora’, after the nearby village, whose name is derived from Old Norse and translating to "river with a bridge”.
After a boom in whisky production in the ‘60s and ‘70s came a difficult period for the Scotch industry. Distilleries were mothballing all around the country as the market shifted to rely heavily on blends with highly specific requirements. On the 17th March 1983, Brora – one of the smaller and thus more vulnerable distilleries – fell silent, its machinery ground to a halt, with Clynelish remaining open.
Like many other esteemed whisky distilleries affected by the turbulence of the early ‘80s, Brora became a ‘ghost’ distillery, existing solely through an ever-dwindling supply of ageing casks. But just like a ghost, Brora’s spirit lived on, the distillery and its whisky translating into the stuff of legend among whisky connoisseurs the world over. Single Malts from its swan song years, including annual Special Release bottlings, were some of the most highly sought-after drams on the market due to their age and rarity, and quickly garnered cult status among whisky enthusiasts.
For decades, Brora, rather appropriately embodied by an emblem of the endangered Scottish wildcat, was thought to be no more. But in the spring of 2021, after three years of meticulous brick-by-brick restoration, the distillery's two classic copper pot stills – lovingly refurbished by skilled coppersmiths – roared back to life. This rebirth served as a beacon of hope for the once-faltering industry, which has gone from strength to strength in recent years.
Now, the very first casks filled from the reawakened distillery are coming of age. No longer categorised as ‘new make spirit’, this is Scotch whisky in its own right; this is Brora. “It’s a historic milestone”, says Andrew Flatt, Brora Distillery Host. “Three years on since the Wildcat Gates reopened, our new make spirit is coming of age. This year, what lies in the casks at Brora can finally be called Scotch whisky. We see this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for guests to be amongst the first in the world to sample this whisky in over forty years.”
To further commemorate this watershed moment, Brora has released a second distillery exclusive bottling, the 44-Year-Old Untold Depths. This release celebrates the history of the Brora distillery and pays homage to the temple of whisky that is Warehouse No 1, where many of the distillery’s most treasured casks have been matured over the years. Brora’s Master Blender Dr Craig Wilson describes Untold Depths as “a classic pairing of a gentle cask and medium peating which explores the full depth of taste of which Brora is capable.
“On the nose the whisky holds waxy hints of fragrant incense and green grape skins drift through light peat smoke, then dried herb and scented oil slowly rising through a swirl of buttery toffee,” he explains, rather poetically. “Waxy-smooth, the sweet, lightly fruity taste reaches a long and fragrant finish with a pinch of white pepper.” Sweet with a touch of dryness; clean yet slightly smoky; at once peppery and cooling: this is a complex dram that contains past, present and future, capturing the essence of a distillery that’s ever-evolving.
Celebrating a previous ‘Age of Peat’ from 1977, this single cask bottling from that very year signals a crucial moment for Brora, as its distillers focus on a ‘New Age of Peat’, recreating the famed style distilled between 1969 and 1981. “The challenge of recreation was like a jigsaw puzzle,” says Flatt. But meticulous research and restoration has ensured a match in the high quality so renowned of Brora’s golden era. “We’re not going to make it quicker, we’re going to make it the same,” he says. And isn’t that its own form of innovation?
41 years since the shuttering of Brora, it’s safe to say the wildcat has reawoken and is officially back. Yet as the distillery looks towards an exciting future of producing whisky once more, it continues to honour a rich past, its hallowed buildings symbolic of the continuous merging of worlds and timespans.
From July, 2024, a small taste of whisky from the very first casks filled from the reawakened distillery will be introduced to those who visit the distillery on the Eras of Brora tour
Brora 44-Year-Old Untold Depths is only available to purchase in person directly from Brora Distillery from July onwards at an RRSP of £10,000 (incl. Duty and VAT), limited to 150 bottles. More information on this and the tours available at the distillery, can be found at brora.com
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