Dewar’s has unveiled a new range of whiskies from Royal Brackla, the first Scotch to be granted a Royal Warrant by King William IV in 1833.
Introducing Royal Brackla for a new generation of malt drinkers, Malt Master Stephanie Macleod has re-imagined the brand’s core range with maturation and finishing in selected casks. Each of the new expressions has been finished in sherry casks, including Oloroso, Palo Cortado and Pedro Ximénez.
The newly available offering includes Royal Brackla 12 Year Old, Royal Brackla 18 Year Old and Royal Brackla 21 Year Old, all bottled at a higher 92 proof, compared to the previous strength of 80 proof and without the use of caramel coloring and chill filtration.
“Royal Brackla possesses a clean acidity which allows it to cut through the powerful flavors taken on during aging in ex-Sherry casks. The type of cask is always chosen to complement the distillery’s signature character, not mask it,” said Dewar’s Malt Master Stephanie Macleod. “Finishing the aged spirit in these prized wooden vessels imparts each expression with incredible complexity, each with their own nuances and all with a superbly balanced finish, but most importantly, still allowing for Royal Brackla’s flavor profile to shine through. The secondary maturation phase gives an extra dimension to the whisky – like a layer of icing on a cake – it adds the finishing touch. The result is a sumptuous, fruitful dram with rich sherried notes and soft spicy overtones.”
Through extensive research, Macleod found that Royal Brackla’s whisky is excellent for taking on fortified wine finishes as the fruity, grassiness of the distillery’s character favors it. After several years of trialling and exploring different sherries, she has chosen to showcase three types from Bodegas Jose y Miguel Martin in Jerez, Spain in each expression.
Royal Brackla 12 Year Old was finished in Oloroso Sherry casks. Oloroso was chosen to age the 12 Year Old as it bestows notes of chocolate covered almonds, muscovado sugar and ripe fruits.
Royal Brackla 18 Year Old was finished in Palo Cortado Sherry casks. The casks from this unusual sherry were chosen to finish the 18 Year Old because it brings citrus notes and builds flavors of creamy vanilla, spices and soft fruits.
Royal Brackla 21 Year Old was finished in Pedro Ximénez, Oloroso and Palo Cortado Sherry casks. For the 21 Year Old expression, Macleod has layered casks from three sherries together to create further complexity. A blend of Pedro Ximénez, Oloroso and Palo Cortado was used to finish the oldest expression. The combination was picked as they create a wonderful balance of sherry and oak.
Brackla distillery was founded in 1812 by Captain William Fraser, but in 1833 its spirit pleased the palate of King William IV so greatly that he awarded it a Royal Warrant. It thereby became the first Scotch to be honored with regal approval, and was renamed Royal Brackla, raising whisky’s wider status to a drink fit for kings and queens. ‘The Drink Divine’, as whisky was known once it furnished the royal table, is one of the foundation stones in the story of Scotland’s national drink.
Royal Brackla is also helping Bacardi in its mission to become the most environmentally responsible global spirits company. The weight of the new range has been reduced, representing a reduction of nearly 29 tonnes of glass, 14 tonnes of CO2 emissions, and 26,000 liters of water within the first year.
“We’ve been distilling exceptional whisky at Royal Brackla for over two centuries, but every strong start needs the right finishing touch,” said Ian Taylor, Dewar’s Global Brand Director for Malts. The history, its role in making Scotch prestigious and the incredible quality of the whiskies we have in our reserve, all justified our decision to repackage and reassess the offering from Royal Brackla.”
Royal Brackla 12 Year Old, Royal Brackla 18 Year Old and Royal Brackla 21 Year Old are available to purchase in select markets in the US now including New York, DC and Chicago for $70.99, $299.99 and $599.99, respectively.
