Whisky Emporium

Royal Brackla

Royal Brackla distillery

Region: Highlands

Location: Cawdor, Nairn, Inverness-shire, IV12 5QY

Status: Operational (owned by Bacardi - J. Dewar)

General whisky characteristics: Complex, aromatic, lightly fruity

Some more great distillery info here, thanks to Malt Madness

My thanks to Teun van Wel for permission to copy & use the distillery photos

Independent Bottlers

'The Companion', Royal Brackla, 25y, 46% ABV matured in a fine sherry cask

A German 'Whisky Fair' bottling

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Glass: Bugatti Kelch

Colour: Deep gold

Nose: Lots of light herbs, slightly dry and faint hints of liquorice. On further nosing I am getting just a trace of straw, as stored in a barn.

Palate: This one is initially slow. Most of the flavours burst through in the aftertaste and are not so evident in the initial taste. At first it seemed quite insignificant, but only for a couple of seconds before the explosion hit. Those herbal & floral notes are splendid and are mostly concentrated on the back, not the front of the tongue. The aftertaste sits purely on the back of the tongue and is one of delicate liquorice. Further tastes help concentrate the same flavours with that intial floral herbiness followed swiftly by a full, but not too fierce assault of liquorice on the back of the tongue, also making the extreme sides of the mouth water.

Overall impression: This is a good whisky, very good, but quite unusual in the experience it gives. The flavours are very delicate in an intense kind of way. Initial floral and herb notes turn quickly into a more prominent liquorice which lingers for some time. I really like this one, not just for the flavours, but for the very different overall experience it gives.

JWWW (Jack Wieber), Royal Brackla, 25y, 58.5% ABV

A German 'Whisky Fair' bottling

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Nose: Freshly cut grass and hay

Palate: Lots of alcohol and spirit, needs water as the alcohol hides the flavours at this stage.

With 3 drops of water: A much smoother nose but still with grass and hay.
Palate: Now a smooth and gentle tingle on the tongue with slight liquorice, hay and herbs.

Overall Impression: A 25y Royal Brackla was selected as a whisky fair bottling last year, it was the one from "The Companion"(see above tasting note) and I have to say that one was superior to this one from JWWW. This is a good dram with water added, but it lacks the complexity and range of flavours of last years.

Zenith, Royal Brackla, 16y

A lovely and rare bottling, distilled around 1970 and bottled in the mid to late 1980's

Typical cost of this bottle; Now €€€€€

Nose: A real delight, slightly perfumed floral bouquet with hints of marzipan

Palate: Tingly smooth nuts and very long finish

With 3 drops of water: Even longer and more aromatic.

Overall Impression: I love this whisky, find me more!