Royal Brackla Highland Single Malt Whisky 21 Years Old

The Royal Brackla Distillery is located in the Highlands on the estate of the castle of the same name, about 6.5 kilometres from the town of Nairn. To the east of here flows the River Nairn, which flows into the sea at the town of the same name. The name Nairn comes from the Gaelic and probably means "field of barley" or "field of fallen trees". In 1812 the distillery was built on the Cowdor Estate by the builder Captain William Fraser of Brackla House. Due to competition from illegal distillers in the area, Captain Fraser sought other markets and at that time sold a great deal of his whisky in the Lowlands. In 1835 the distillery was given the title "Royal" by King William IV, the first distillery in Scotland, and the whisky became known as "The King's Own Whisky". Andrew Usher, the inventor of blended whiskies, bought into the Royal Brackla distillery as a partner in the 1860s. As such, Royal Brackla was one of the first malt whiskies to be used for blended whisky. After Andrew Usher's son took over in 1890, the distillery was sold to John Bisset after his death in 1925. He sold the distillery again in 1943 to U.D.V. and in 1945 the distillery was closed due to a lack of barley during the Second World War. In 1964 the distillery was closed again for a thorough renovation and expansion. The number of stills was doubled and they were also converted to fire with steam instead of coal. Royal Brackla is now owned by John Dewar's & Sons Ltd. (part of Bacardi/Martini). The stillhouse contains two wash stills and two spirit stills, all heated by steam. The six washbacks are made of Oregon pine wood. The maturation of the new spirit takes place in refill and sherry casks. The water used for production comes from an underground water source called Cursack. The water for cooling is taken from the ground via a pipe. Practically the entire production of the Royal Brackla distillery goes to the blenders for the production of Dewars White Label and Johnnie Walker Gold Label. Only a small amount is marketed as single malt. The distillery cannot be visited.

Colour: deep gold. Nose: subtle aromas of wax and leather, fruitiness of berries, orange peel, apples and plums, creamy vanilla, a grassy accent and spiciness of oak, tea, cloves and menthol. Taste: soft and waxy with initial notes of lime, mango, bergamot and star anise and later barley malt, chocolate, vanilla, old oak and sweet spices. The finish is long and slightly drying with notes of chocolate and spices.