Royal Brackla
The King's Own
One of only three distilleries to receive a royal warrant (1833), the venerable Royal Brackla was established by the notorious Captain William Fraser on the Cawdor Estate close to Inverness in 1812. From earliest times marketed as ‘the King’s own whisky’, Brackla was eventually mothballed in the 1980s, only to resume production in 1990.
The grassy, richly fruity Highland single malts of Brackla are matured in first-fill ex-oloroso Sherry casks. A 10 year-old, released since 2004, is the flagship malt of the distillery. A 25-year-old official bottling has also been released. In 2015, Dewar’s introduced three Royal Brackla single malts – 12-year-old, a 16-year-old and 21-year-old expressions – as part of its Last Great Malts series.
Independent bottlings of Royal Brackla, from the likes of Gordon & Macphail and Douglas Laing, are also worthy of enthusiasts’ attention.
