Royal Brackla 18yo 1993/2012 Signatory #6755 vs Royal Lochnagar 23yo 1973/1997 Rare Malts
For want of sufficient samples of both royal distilleries, I’ve gone and put them together. Not sure it’s really a good idea as we know Royal Brackla is prime blending malt and distilled to be so, while Royal Lochnagar is known to be a characterful highlander.
Royal Brackla 18yo 1993/2012 Signatory #6755 53.3%
Nose: It’s a perfectly malty, slightly dusty malt with a round cereal-sweet core. Plenty of oatcakes plus butter and light honey. Some pollen, naught but a touch of minerals. Rather firm and not ‘floppy’. Plenty of denseness to give it backbone despite all its glorious nakedness. Plenty of muesli dust mixed with a dry herbal dust, like the bottom of a packet of bouquet garni. This has so much charm in itself, I will never understand why some people like sherry so much.
Palate: Is as the nose suggests, but packed quite some heat as well. Grated ginger and white pepper provides a white glow that eventually eases into dusty malt and honey again. Very firm.
Finish: Medium long, dry white heat, dusty, malty, cereals, very natural.
Royal Lochnagar 23yo 1973/1997 Rare Malts 59.7%
Some of the whiskies in this Rare Malts range were downright brutal.
Nose: Oops this may have done the Brackla in. Immediately old school and a lot more going on as well. Light phenolics of WD40, slightly rusty tin boxes, caked earth, heaps of dried out broken branches, more than a casual lick of smoke. Again a dense firm core that speaks of slightly fermenty fruit and dried leaves. Dried oak staves.
Palate: Metallic, metal polish, and grease. Old wood, black pepper and slightly camphorous. Shrivelled ginger. Dried up caked earth on shovels, feels just a tad peated although I can’t be sure. Dried paper, crumbling leather, and old smoke. Very old school , in fact I want to say very typically old school but it’s also just that. Lacking a bit of excitement.
Finish: Long, lightly phenolic again, no change to these notes.
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