Royal Lochnagar 12 Year Old

 

40% ABV and matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and sherry casks.

 

Royal Lochnagar 12 Year

Price: £35.90 (Master of Malt)

Appearance: Yellow gold (they do add colouring).

 

Nose: Ripe green apples and straw initially, with soft notes of creamy toffee and polished wood.

 

Palate: Silky smooth. Grassy, yet full of the sweetness of stewed apples and brown sugar. Some hints of vanilla custard. 

 

Finish:  A slight sharpness, with the spiciness of cloves and ginger. Bitter apple seeds and burnt sugar with a little bit of vanilla coming through. 

 

Overall: A very simple, standard Highland whisky with apples all the way. What I like about Royal Lochnagar is their small portfolio; they do very few expressions and they choose quality over quantity. This 12 year old is quite light and delicate with no complexity. Not my usual preference, but sometimes you just want a straight-forward no nonsense dram. 

Lochnagar Distillery was established by a former illicit distiller – James Robertson – in 1823, and has been rebuilt twice following arson attacks. Lochnagar were awarded the “Royal” prefix in 1848 after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert claimed the neighbouring Balmoral Castle as their country home. They accepted an invitation to see the distillery at work and, after tasting the Highland whisky, awarded Lochnagar with the Royal Warrant. Royal Lochnagar are located in the Cairngorms and draw their water from springs on their namesake munro. They have only two copper stills (one wash, one spirit) and are one of only 16 Scottish distilleries to still use wormtub condensers. Royal Lochnagar is by far the smallest distillery in Diageo’s portfolio, producing only 450,000 litres of whisky a year, a large portion of which goes into Johnnie Walker blends.