The first of nine whiskies at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") June 2022 Outturn tasting at the Jack Rose Saloon on Sunday, June 5th. I've never had Royal Brackla! So this was a nice new experience. Royal Brackla is owned by Bacardi, and dates to 1812. It gets the word "Royal" because King William IV (the king who immediately preceded Queen Victoria) selected it as the official whisky of his court - the first whisky to be granted a Royal Warrant. It closed from 1985 to 1991, like so many distilleries.
Here are the official notes:
Light and playful exotic fruit syrups greeted the panel first. A wonderfully luscious and easy nose, with guava, mango, pineapple and vanilla sponge cake all popping out. With water we found barley sugars, delicate wood spices, lemon curd, flower pollens and white chocolate with a touch of foaming stout beer. The palate was initially sweet with pink wafer biscuits, then white flowers, homemade custard, bitter lemon and a touch of mirabelle eau de vie. Water brought white stone fruits, pineapple jelly, lime cordial in soda water, yellow plums and fruit teas.
Matured ten years in a first-fill ex-bourbon barrel, bottled at 62.5% ABV, let's go exploring:
Nose: A little glue, and tons of tropical fruit and citrus notes. I get guava, mango, pineapple, orange, lemon. A quiet backbone of malted barley.
Mouthfeel: Medium but nice feel here.
Palate: Richer than the nose, and more bourbon-forward. Caramel, ginger, a floral note, custard, lemon... with a touch of water, stone fruit (peach), more pineapple, lemon pie, key lime pie, and unripe plums. Quite rich.
Finish: Very oak-forward finish. Dries out the mouth, light pepper, light pineapple, lots of wood.
Verdict: Quite nice stuff. I am interested to try more from Royal Brackla! This is a very respectable introduction. A landslide of tropical fruits and citrus with a couple unusual notes - the glue on the nose, or the floral note on the palate - to keep you engaged from beginning to end. Nice stuff. Recommended.
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