ROYAL BRACKLA RELEASES NEW RANGE OF LAST GREAT MALTS

 THIS TIME IT COMPRISES 12, 18 AND 21 YEAR OLD EXPRESSIONS

Image: Scotchwhisky.com

Whisky making has taken place on its site since 1817, when a Captain William Fraser took out a licence for his Brackla distillery. Fraser’s whisky was well-received and, in 1835, it was the first to be granted a Royal Warrant and the rights to call itself Royal Brackla. Whisky from Brackla was known as ‘The King’s Own Whisky’, a blended malt. In 1879, it became closely associated with blending. The whisky was also reported to be a favourite of Queen Victoria when she ascended to the throne shortly afterwards, and was one of the malts from which famed commercialised blender Andrew Usher created the first blended whisky in the 1860s.

Royal Brackla remained a quiet producer of malt for blending until 2014, when Dewar’s announced that a five-strong range of single malts would be launched in 2015, part of a company-wide programme dubbed The Last Great Malts. In October 2019, Dewar’s unveiled plans for a revamped Royal Brackla range, comprising 12-, 18- and 21-year-old expressions, bottled at a higher strength of 46% ABV, without caramel colouring and each finished in different ex-Sherry casks. The new range was due to be rolled out from spring 2020.

Royal Brackla 12 Years Old, finished in ex-oloroso Sherry casks, is said to contain ‘the full bodied spice of oloroso and the bright summer breeze of Royal Brackla’ and will be priced at US$79.99.

The range’s 18-year-old is finished in ex-Palo Cortado casks and is said to be ‘enticing and complex’ with ‘big, succulent soft fruits’ on the palate, priced at US$154.99.

Royal Brackla 21 Year Old, finished in a combination of ex-Pedro Ximénez, oloroso and Palo Cortado casks, is said to contain ‘syrupy toffee notes with richly fragrant summer berries’ and will be priced at US$279.99.

The revamped range replaces Royal Brackla’s original 12-, 16- and 21-year-old expressions.

These days, not much is heard of Royal Brackla, although this is an old and, as evidenced above, historic brand. After major renovations in 1966 and 1997, Royal Brackla was sold by Diageo to Bacardi-Martini, who incorporated it into their Dewar's portfolio (also acquired from Diageo). The vast majority of Brackla's spirit now goes into Dewar's White label and Bacardi's other blends.

The distillery set-up is all about creating and then capturing esters – the fermentation is long, the lyne arms of the stills are angled upwards, the copper conversation a long one, the reflux plentiful. As well as having this fresh, perfumed fruitiness Brackla also possesses a clean acidity, and it is this which allows a cut though the powerful flavours given during ageing in ex-Sherry casks, the maturation style chosen by Dewar’s for its single malt releases. Scotchwhisky.com

 Bacardi does little to promote Royal Brackla, preferring to spend its malt marketing money on Aberfeldy. For this reason the malt is rarely seen on shop shelves. A 10 year-old is the standard bottling, although an official 25 year-old was briefly available several years ago. Independent bottlings of Royal Brackla are relatively regular, with Gordon & Macphail and Douglas Laing occasionally releasing interesting expressions. The 16 year old release from the Royal Brackla single malt Scotch whisky range, was perhaps the pick of the bunch with an abundance of spicy Oloroso character. It's also beautifully presented, with a particularly large punt.