A Royal Brackla 16 year old, that’s a first time for me, nor have I ever tasted another one from their range. And that is not so strange either. Though the distillery has been here for a while, their core range isn’t.
The distillery was built in 1812 and is currentely operated by John Dewar’s & Sons for Bacardi. It was mainly used for blends until 2014 when Dewar’s announced that a range of single malts would be launched in 2015. Among those were the 12, 16, and 21-year-old Royal Brackla.
This Royal Brackla has a 1st fill Oloroso sherry cask finish and is bottled at 40% ABV.
Royal Brackla 16 year old tasting notes:
Nose: Coco oil and a bit of wax. Orange peels, mixed with honey sweetness. Raisins and figs are here to find as well. It is also a bit nutty. Quite simple and straightforward, but I like it.
Taste: Some dried fruits, mainly raisins and prunes. Creamy caramel and toffee. Nutty as well. This is all followed by a hint of balsamic, and there is some oak too. Maybe a little bit flat, but it tastes still very nice.
Finish: The finish is short to mid-long with hints of chocolate and toffee. Oak too. It’s a little bit drying.
A pleasant whisky, which I really enjoyed. It is not overly complex, but it’s very tasty. It may use a slightly higher ABV, that would just give it a little bit more power.
Many thanks to JJ from Whiskyrover for the sample, you can read his review here.
