Hi everyone,
This is a kind of follow-up on a previous thread titled "Bowmore 17 OB and Sig Ardmore 1992" where Longrow and Brora were highly recommended. There was some good discussion in that thread regarding both malts (Bart, blackkeno, and many details from Serge V.) with the consensus being that a malt drinker is definitely missing something great having not tried either of them.
Last night I tried my first Longrow, a 10 y.o. 1993 OB at 46%. I also tried a Brora (it was a Douglas Laing 50% single cask...I don't know what age/year this Brora was). The manager of the store has open bottles of many different malts, and let me sample both of these. He gave me a little water for the Brora, and asked me if there were any other malts I'd like to try. This is the first store where I've been offered the chance to sample the malt I was considering. Of course I'll be a return customer...it's a great little shop.
I ended up buying a bottle of the Longrow. Very peaty, very intense...I liked it very much. I haven't yet opened my bottle to get a better taste.
I found the Brora interesting, unlike any other malt that I've tried to date, and I was really having trouble identifying the tastes within it. I liked it, but I don't think I would spend the money to buy a bottle of the DL Brora. I guess now I'm wondering if I'd like an OB Brora better.
Side note and slightly off topic, but discussed in recent threads: Japanese single malts. I've been seeing a lot about Japanese single malts such as Suntory, but I can't find them anywhere! Even the store where I've been shopping (200+ malts!) doesn't have them and won't anytime soon. I'd love to try one...just out of curiousity.
Anyway, enjoy your malts, Sean