Royal Salute 25 Years Old (Chivas Brothers Ltd.)

Royal Salute 25 Years Old (Chivas Brothers Ltd.) is a blended malt Scotch from Chivas Brothers Ltd. It marries single malts from more than one distillery, Caperdonich among them. A few warehouses still stand, but the stillhouse and kiln are long gone.

Caperdonich, a Speyside distillery closed in 2002, lends a creamy, fruity depth. A sherry cask gave dried fruit and a dark, nutty sweetness. The light, creamy spirit takes cask flavour readily while keeping its pear and mint. Slow oxidation over decades draws the creamy spirit towards a waxy, fruity richness. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits both bourbon and sherry. It is named, like the burn, from the Gaelic for the secret well. The tall, Glen Grant style stills give a light spirit that ages with grace. The cool Speyside air gave a slow, even maturation in the Rothes warehouses.

At a full 51.8% it is bold yet fruity. Soft pear, cream and dried fruit run through it, with a waxy, fruity depth. A baked pear and a soft spice lift it. The finish is deep, waxy and tropical. A characterful blended malt Scotch drawing on a vanished distillery.