Royal Brackla 16 Year

Tasting Notes

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: loads of caramel, bright sherry tones, dark fruits, soft leather and earthy dunnage warehouse notes; assorted dried fruits, maple syrup and Manuka honey. 

Palate: big, bold and sherried, some green grassy-malty tones with firm leather and drying fruits; reminiscent of grappa and solera matured brandies; loose leaf tobacco, maple custed walnuts and orange peel driven mince meat notes.  

Finish: medium in length, but bold, fruity and dark; late showing spices and more nutty maple.

Comment: a tossup between it and the 12, the 12 is more my style but the 16 has greater depth.

Distiller's Tasting Note: "A royal flush of flavour: vanilla, soft caramel, ripe apricots; replete with sherry tones. Hold court with a monarch of the glens."

About Royal Brackla (From Baccardi)

Standing on the fertile farmland of the Cawdor Estate, Royal Brackla Distillery was established in 1812 by the fiery Captain William Fraser who returned to the family farm after military service and took advantage of the fine barley it grew. Within 25 years his distillery’s reputation for spirit of sterling taste received its crowning moment when King William IV bestowed ‘Royal’ status to Brackla, in 1835. It thus became the first ever Scotch to garner a royal warrant, a revelation that led to its nickname: ‘The King’s Own Whisky’.

Traditional production techniques help to protect a distilling heritage that spans more than two centuries and preserves the unparalleled quality of a rather special spirit. To allow for the development of intriguing complexity and fruitiness, extra time is taken at the fermentation stage, which acts for up to 80 hours; far longer than most Scottish distilleries.

The notably tall stills run at an unusually slow pace. Their height allows plenty of reflux, with the leisurely nature of the operation increasing the contact that the spirit shares with copper, thus filtering out unwanted sulphury notes. Instead, delicate and lightly perfumed notes of grass and green foliage develop, alongside inviting fruity aromas. Crucially, the whisky is finished in premium first-fill sherry casks, enriching it with notes of muscovado sweetness and dates, alongside opulent walnuts.