
June 13, 2018

Brackla Madness 1926-2011

Brackla a.k.a. Royal Brackla is not a malt we’re very well acquainted with, for unknown reasons. Mind you, we haven’t even tried 40 of them over more than fifteen years! But all things come to him who waits, as Methuselah used to say… So, at random for more fun, and with many pre-Dewar’s spirits…

Royal Brackla 25 yo (46%, Art of Whisky, fino sherry butt, +/-2009)

A fino butt, that’s interesting. These bottlings used to be done for The Whisky Trail. Colour: pale gold. Nose: barley at first, then porridge mixed with custard, then overripe apples, sweet beers, and poiré (or pear cider). This baby’s very ‘natural’, close to the raw materials, without any make-up. No I can’t find anything fino-ish so far… Mouth: very good arrival, and indeed there might be traces of sweet mustard, before the expected overripe apples and pears start to rule the show. All natural malt whisky, rather uncomplicated, rather very good. Finish: medium, malty, with more pears and apples, porridge, and a little white pepper in the aftertaste. And, perhaps and indeed, some walnuts from the fino. Comments: average in the very best sense of that word.
SGP:451 - 83 points.

Royal Brackla 4 yo 2011/2015 (52.5%, Duncan Taylor, The Octaves, cask #939429)

Royal Brackla 4 yo 2011/2015 (52.5%, Duncan Taylor, The Octaves, cask #939429)
Should we call this an infanticide? Perhaps not… Colour: gold. Nose: oak at work here. Ginger, caraway, cinnamon, spicy breads, a pinhead of chilli mayonnaise, various cakes and breads… Any distillery character, you’re asking? What are you talking about? With water: no. Grenadine bonbons and cherry drops, Fanta (a clear no)… No water should be added to this. Mouth (neat): toasted bread, foccacia, gingerbread, speculoos… My problem is that I’m finding this quite good, even if the cask(s) has been doing 99% of the job here. With water: rather works this time. Custard, Swedish bread, Wasabröd, speculoos, rye, even buckwheat crepes… It’s all about oak, but that worked. Finish: medium, extremely bready. Comments: did they manage to turn some proper ‘industrial’ malt whisky into a crafty little thing? I say yes. Hate the idea of the octaves, but I’ve got to face the facts, I rather like this bready thing.
SGP:452 - 81 points.

Royal Brackla 14 yo 2001/2016 (46%, Carn Mor, Strictly Limited, 768 bottles)

Why a 2001 Brackla would be strictly limited, I couldn’t possibly know, but Carn Mor are having a good deal of young or youngish malt whiskies ex-re-re-re-refill wood. Which shouldn’t be a problem… Colour: white wine. Nose: nature-driven young barleyish malt whisky, without any traces of oak (or wine for that matter), and rather all on lager, muesli, apples, and pears. Mouth: indeed, all-natural barley-driven whisky, with some barley syrup, ripe apples, and a feeling of cassata. Elementary malt whisky. Finish: medium, very barley-y. Comments: well-aged barley eau-de-vie. Not too sure about any distillery character, though, but is ‘good’. For barley lovers.
SGP:541 - 80 points.

Do not ask me about Brackla’s main profile, or about any idiosyncrasies, because I just couldn’t tell you. But we could try a little harder…

Royal Brackla 18 yo 1997/2016 (54.4%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, 402 bottles)

Royal Brackla 18 yo 1997/2016 (54.4%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, 402 bottles)
Sure I’m late. Colour: white wine. Nose: liquorice allsorts diluted in Absolut, then guignolet and Mandarine Impériale, then Irn Bru. With water: there’s a nice fresh forest development (right, mushrooms), as well as some fresh marzipan from your local confectioner’s. Alternatively, you could find Mozart Kugelns. Mouth (neat): it’s good, with melons, peaches, and indeed liquorice allsorts. But very sweet. Good for Mark & Spencer’s. With water: too sweet and fruity for me, it’s becoming a little cloying. Finish: same. Comments: rather too sweet and syrupy for me, and we’re not talking about the mouth feel. How could anyone extract this much sweetness from barley?
SGP:731 - 77 points.

Royal Brackla 18 yo 1998/2017 (50%, Hunter Laing, Old Malt Cask, refill barrel, cask #13429, 244 bottles)

Royal Brackla 18 yo 1998/2017 (50%, Hunter Laing, Old Malt Cask, refill barrel, cask #13429, 244 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: whiffs of glue at first, then raw kirsch and crushed olives. Rather unusual, I’ll give you that. With water: smoked mortadella, cold cuts, vase water… Indeed, what’s happening? Mouth (neat): this olive-iness remains, plus notes of hessian, tobacco-y smoke, pumpkin oil, pistachios… The cask’s previous content was a peater, obviously. With water: wobbly and yet good. But smoked melons, how unlikely is that? Finish: medium, very sweet/fruity on the one side, smoky/ashy on the other side. Comments: intriguing, as proper whisky writers would say. Something’s not totally right, but on the other hand, this is Brackla.
SGP:552 - 78 points.

Royal Brackla 23 yo 1992/2016 (52.9%, Cadenhead, Wine Cask, claret, 156 bottles)

And now a claret cask, they’ve spared me no embarrassment today. Yes, claret a.k.a. Bordeaux casks are legal – but they shouldn’t be. What’s the E.U. doing? Colour: gold. Nose: fresh mushrooms, crushed cassis, porridge, tomato sauce, fresh plaster. Not too sure… With water: some would mention baby puke, some others would quote gym socks. Both would be a little excessive… Mouth (neat): strange, not bad as such. Crunching rubber boots while wolfing down crème de cassis and blueberry muffins. Loco malt whisky. With water: no. Finish: very difficult. Cassis, rubber and black pepper. Coconut in the aftertaste. Coconut! Comments: ouch, gulp, gasp…
SGP:471 - 60 points.

This is becoming tough. Aren’t we losing patience?... So a very last try at Brackla, but let’s do this proper and call in the heaviest cavalry. Is this whiskyfun or not?

Royal Brackla 60 yo 1926/1985 (40%, OB, James Buchanan, for Japan, 60 decanters)

Royal Brackla 60 yo 1926/1985 (40%, OB, James Buchanan, for Japan, 60 decanters)
This extremely rare bottling was done to celebrate both Emperor Hirohito's accession to the throne and queen Elizabeth's 60th Birthday. Now I agree, the figures don’t quite add up, some are even saying that this was actually a 1924, containing the same juice as the famous commemorative ‘regular’ 60 yo 1924. But does that really matter? It’s also to be noted that Buchanan’s did a few minis, and it’s actually one of those original minis that we’re having today, thanks to Emmanuel who’s just written the best book ever about collectable whiskies. But more about that stunning book later… Colour: amber. Nose: could have been early 19th century Cognac, really. Exceptionally honeyed and cigary, full of old Yquem and old mint cordials from the tsar’s own cellars (why not?), with a magnificent rancio and a growing balsamic side. Puréed chestnuts start to rule the show after five minutes, and they would come together with the most complex chocolates ever. May I suggest Michel Cluizel or Jacques Génin? Mouth: brilliant. Truffle oil, very old balsamico (akin to that 100 yo we had at Casari’s in Modena a good five years ago), the same mint cordials as on the nose (you know, the tsar’s), then many prunes, and more and more chocolates, mocha, black currants, drops of walnut wine, very old Côte-Rôtie, crunching your cigar, crunching mocha beans… Sure we’d have loved to be able to try this at 43 or 45% vol., but that’s not going to happen in this life. Finish: this is where it gets a little too dry, which was totally to be expected. No problems whatsoever. Superb natural chocolaty tones, akin to those of some 19th century armagnac. Raspberry-filled chocolates in the aftertaste. Comments: totally hate to have to score this, how do I dare? I mean, Hirohito and Liz the Second? And now this very humble handicapped mosquito of a second-grade republican whisky taster from Mittel-Elsass? But we’re afraid of nothing, are we?
SGP:561 - 92 points.

(Merci beaucoup Emmanuel)

Check the index of all Royal Brackla we've tasted so far