Royal Brackla 12 Years Old 2009 (Sexywhisky)

Sexywhisky selected this Royal Brackla, aged 12 year old from 2009 and bottled at 54.1%. 35 bottles in all. Set on the Earl of Cawdor's estate near Nairn, Royal Brackla has distilled since 1812. Cawdor Castle, said to inspire Shakespeare's Macbeth, stands on the same estate.

The spirit was made in copper pot stills after a long fermentation, for a fruity, honeyed make of real finesse. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light honeyed sweetness. By this age the orchard fruit rounds into honey and a fuller spice. Patient maturation turns the orchard fruit towards honey and dried fruit. The Cawdor Estate has grown barley and made spirit for two centuries. A long, cool maturation rounds the fruit into honey and dried fruit. Brackla earned the prefix Royal long before most distilleries had a brand at all. The malt is prized by blenders for its fragrant, fruity lift.

At a hearty 54.1% it carries real weight. Vanilla and a light cream from the barrel, with pear, honey and a warm spice. The texture is smooth and rounded, the fruit lifted by honey. A warming, fruity finish lingers. This is Royal Brackla's refined Highland style.