Royal Brackla 12 Years Old 2010 Cask #14 (High Spirits Distribution)

Bottled by High Spirits Distribution, this Royal Brackla, aged 12 year old from 2010, drawn from cask 14 and bottled at 50%. Only 318 bottles were released. Royal Brackla was established in 1812 in Nairnshire, by Cawdor Castle; it became the first Scotch granted a royal warrant, by William IV in 1833. Water for the make is drawn from the Cawdor Burn.

Drawn off copper stills with horizontal shell and tube condensers, building the elegant Highland style it is loved for. A sherry butt held it, the wood lending raisin and walnut. By this age the orchard fruit rounds into honey and a fuller spice. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the honeyed, fruity core over time. Captain William Fraser, an army man returned from India, built the distillery in 1812. Water for the make is drawn from the Cawdor Burn in the northern Highlands.

At a hearty 50% it carries real weight. The Oloroso brings dried fruit, fig and a nutty depth, and green apple and a fragrant lift sit alongside honeyed oak sweetness underneath. It is clean and elegant, the fragrant spirit shining through. Orchard fruit and honey draw out the close. This is a Highland malt with a royal past.