Royal Brackla 13 Years Old 2009 Cask #6417 (Connoisseurs Choice)

This is a Royal Brackla single malt, chosen and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail, a 13 year old from 2009, drawn from cask 6417 and bottled at 59.2%. 199 bottles in all. Royal Brackla, built in 1812 by Captain William Fraser in Nairnshire, by Cawdor Castle, is the first Royal distillery in Scotch. Long a backbone of the Dewar's blends, it is now bottled as a single malt in its own right.

Drawn off copper stills with horizontal shell and tube condensers, building the elegant Highland style it is loved for. Ex-Bourbon casks held the spirit, soft oak that lets the fruit lead. By this age the orchard fruit rounds into honey and a fuller spice. The light, elegant spirit shows cask character clearly even after years in oak. The house style leans on sherry wood, building a fruity, dried fruit character. Tall copper stills and a long fermentation give an elegant, fragrant spirit. The distillery lies near Nairn, at the edge of the Highlands above Inverness.

At cask strength 59.2% it is full bodied. Honeyed fruit and oak spice meet honeyed oak sweetness underneath. Soft orchard fruit and honey sit behind the sweetness. A fruity, gently spiced finish lingers long. This is the regal Highland malt of Cawdor.