Royal Brackla 14 Year (SMWS 55.71 "New Shoes")

 

The fourth of six samples at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society May 2023 outturn at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC. This is a 14 year Royal Brackla, finished in a #3 char hogshead, and bottled at 55.1% ABV. I will admit that the six drams of the night were had in short succession, and this one is where I noticed my abilities to taste and smell might not have been 100% accurate. That said, I think I did an OK job tracking the main flavors here. 

Here are the official notes: 

The initial nose neat was all about a warm rummy sponge cake served with clotted cream and runny honey. After a little while a solid rosewood table polished with beeswax and an expensive pair of handmade, calf leather shoes appeared. On the palate a deliciously spiced Caribbean rum; think sweet spices, toffee apples, cocoa nibs, chocolate coated pears, gingerbread and perfumed bitter orange peel. With the addition of water, we tucked into grapefruit slices dipped in brown sugar and rum and raisin ice cream, before eating a slice of Viennese Sachertorte. Following twelve years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a 1st fill hogshead with #3 char level. 

I am going to come out and say: naming a whisky "new shoes" is not an enticement. Very few people buy new shoes and immediately think "I want to drink this." That said, I get where they are coming from, with "calf leather" and "table polish." 

Well, let's not waste time. Here were my impressions: 

Nose: Toffee and peach, peanut brittle, malted barley, yeast, butter, grape candy. Quite nice, actually. 

Mouthfeel: Medium/medium-heavy

Palate: Banana, malt, clarified butter, grape candy again, tons of floral notes, some alcohol that burns on the back end for a bit. Quite similar to the nose. 

Finish: Brown sugar, oak, and a lot of yeast (??). 

Verdict: I rather liked this. That said, if I'm being perfectly honest it's the first dram of the evening that I'm not 100% I captured completely. I've never had a bad Brackla, and this was quite attractive, and I wish I had more time with it. If I had to go one way or another, I'd recommend it.