Royal Brackla 8 Years Old 2014 Cask Series 023 (North Star)

Bottled by North Star Spirits, this Royal Brackla, an 8 year old release from 2014 and bottled at 55.3%. Only 272 bottles were released. Royal Brackla, built in 1812 by Captain William Fraser in Nairnshire, by Cawdor Castle, is the first Royal distillery in Scotch. 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 cask shaped it, true to the Royal Brackla house style. Younger here, it keeps a crisp, fragrant freshness over light honey. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the honeyed, fruity core over time. Cawdor Burn water and tall stills shape a clean, elegant spirit. The royal warrant set Brackla apart in the early days of legal whisky. Few Highland malts wear their history as openly as this one.

Undiluted at 55.3%, it is layered. The Pedro Ximenez lends raisin, date and treacle, and green apple and a fragrant lift sit alongside honeyed oak sweetness underneath. It is clean and elegant, the fragrant spirit shining through. A fruity, gently spiced finish lingers long. This is a Highland malt with a royal past.