Two or three indie Royal Brackla


November 26, 2024

Two or three indie Royal Brackla

We end up tasting Brackla quite often, even if the official bottlings aren't regularly showcased. The only problem is that we keep struggling a bit to define the character of the distillate.

Cassata siciliana (Betty Bossi)

Royal Brackla 10 yo (46%, James Eadie, Small Batch, first fill bourbon and refill butt, cask #1598 + 303564, 1,155 bottles, 2024)

Colour: gold. Nose: a lovely balance with the sherry adding depth to what would otherwise be a fairly neutral profile, bringing out beer notes and perfectly ripe apples. Mouth: raisins take the lead. The cask work here is rather charming, even showcasing mandarins and hints of ginger biscuits, with a touch of dried figs. Finish: of medium length, driven by commanding raisin notes. Comments: a quality offering, though in my view, it's the bottler who deserves the applause.
SGP: 541 – 84 points.

Royal Brackla 15 yo 2008/2024 (58.3%, The Open Door, Taiwan, barrel, cask #6837, 215 bottles)

The Open Door is a bar in Taiwan, described as ‘a haven quietly located in the hustle and bustle of the city’—I must add it to the list. Colour: white wine. Nose: the purity and charm reminiscent of a fine southern Burgundy white, perhaps a Pouilly-Fuissé. Notes of apples and bananas, honeysuckle, sweet woodruff, limestone, and freshly baked brioche. A delicate and refined bouquet. With water: cassata emerges, complete with candied angelica, cherry, and pear pieces—if this carries through to the palate, we’re in for a treat. Mouth (neat): very gentle, almost syrupy, with a medley of citrus, apple, and pear liqueurs. It gradually gains tension in a delightful way, leading to pure limestone and lemon. With water: the cassata with candied fruits returns, along with a touch of honey ice cream. Finish: medium length, honeyed, with soft herbal teas. Comments: one might almost mistake this for a young Rosebank—what a surprise! I reckon it could pair wonderfully with ice cream, perhaps cassata?
SGP: 651 – 87 points.

Cawdor Spring 6 yo 2015/2022 (61.2%, Elixir Distillers, The Whisky Trail, refill cask, cask #236)

It seems Cawdor Spring is a trade name for Royal Brackla. At this rate, we’ll soon need trade names for the trade names—those Scots do love their brand intricacies, as if each small label were as grand as Apple or Tesla (though Tesla’s another story…). Not to be confused with Samaroli’s Glen Cawdor. Colour: the palest white wine. Nose: pleasingly simple, with ripe and unripe apples, a touch of chalk and limestone, and a hint of butterscotch. With water: delicate notes of fennel and dill appear, adding a fresh lift. Mouth (neat): bright and enjoyable, a mix between rum, tequila, and malt whisky (well, at last). Lemons, apples, agave, popcorn, and nougat. I appreciate the very ‘stripped-down’ character of this young malt. With water: the barley spirit steps forward, tempered by a hint of cane syrup. Finish: medium length, fresh, sweet, and fruity, with a touch of glue and varnish, a reminder of its youth. Comments: it’s always intriguing to taste a fine distillate in its early years. It’s not yet mature, but it’s quite agreeable as a young spirit. Think of white rum or mezcal—even if barley doesn’t match the aromatic depth of cane or agave, its main asset being, in theory, time. All in all, rather fun.
SGP: 640 – 83 points.

Check the index of all Brackla we've tasted so far