Royal Brackla 9 Years Old BNSp (WhiskyHeroes)

This Royal Brackla was from the independent bottler Brave New Spirits, a 9 year old Highland malt and bottled at 53.5%. 303 bottles in all. Royal Brackla was established in 1812 in Nairnshire, by Cawdor Castle; its whisky won the first royal warrant ever given to a Scotch, from William IV. Today the distillery sits in the John Dewar and Sons stable, owned by Bacardi.

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. At a youthful age the fruit is lively and the spice gentle. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the honeyed, fruity core over time. 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.

At a natural 53.5% it is full and fruity. The Oloroso brings dried fruit, fig and a nutty depth, and honey, apple and a soft spice sit alongside honeyed oak sweetness underneath. A baked apple and a warm spice lift it. Orchard fruit and honey draw out the close. This is a sherried, fruity dram from the far north.