Royal Salute 32 Years Old Union of the Crowns (Chivas Brothers Ltd.)

Royal Salute 32 Years Old Union of the Crowns (Chivas Brothers Ltd.) is a blended Scotch from Chivas Brothers Ltd. It marries malt and grain whiskies, including spirit from the lost Caperdonich distillery. A small amount of peated spirit was made from 1972 for blending needs.

The lost Caperdonich adds a pear and cream note to the whole. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, a soft vanilla beneath the fruit. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and coconut over the fruit. With the distillery gone, the casks that remain are a finite record of its make. The cool Speyside air gave a slow, even maturation in the Rothes warehouses. Active wood frames the fruit without smothering the soft, creamy spirit. Seagram bought it in 1977, and Pernod Ricard closed it in 2002. Its four stills were dispersed, a pair going as far as Belgium and others to Falkirk.

Bottled at 40%, it is rounded. Soft pear, cream and dried fruit run through it, with a waxy, fruity depth. Beneath it run pear, cream and a soft mint. The finish is deep, waxy and tropical. A characterful blended Scotch drawing on a vanished distillery.