By Richard Thomas
Ranking: B
Royal Brackla 18 12 months Outdated
(Credit score: Dewar’s/Bacardi)
The center rung of Royal Brackla’s common vary of single malts presents one thing particular for followers of Sherried whiskies. This 18 12 months previous single malt is completed in Palo Cortado Sherry casks. If that time period leaves you scratching your head, learn on.
This can be a uncommon sort of Sherry that begins out as getting older below the flor, with an eye fixed on turning into both a Fino or Amontillado. To turn into a Palo Cortado, that cap of flor should crumble, exposing the wine to the air contained in the cask and selling oxidation. The result’s a Sherry that sits between Oloroso and Amontillado. The truth that a cask of Palo Cortado normally outcomes from a coincidence fairly than design marks it out as an unique beast certainly.
As with the opposite common Royal Brackla malts, the 18 12 months previous is bottled at a powerful 46% ABV.
The Scotch
The colour of this pour is straight golden. Sniffing on the glass reveals a really understated Sherry end; a fruity present of pineapple and Granny Smith apples sits on the middle, accented with bourbon vanilla and a twinge of gentle, however spicy oak. But the Sherry parts come extra to the fore on the palate, which enjoys a decidedly creamy mouthfeel. The fruity core turns into peaches and lemon zest, with toffee becoming a member of the bourbon-esque vanilla, and that spicy twinge turning to ginger. The gentle, oaky spice observe runs on within the end.
Though it’s a superb pour, I used to be left considerably dissatisfied on this malt. For a center aged whisky with a most uncommon pedigree, Royal Brackla 18 12 months Outdated is nearly atypical. There are higher mid-rung malts for the cash, and the Palo Cortado affect doesn’t sing clear or robust right here.
The Value
Count on to pay about $100 a bottle, though some retailers have this one inexplicably marked as much as $330.
