Leave it to Scott’s Selection to hide almost all information about a whisky by not putting it on their label.

“Matured in oakwood casks”. Sure, you mean you didn’t break the law. That’s an achievement…

Anyway, old whisky from a long time ago. I got this from a friend who’s from 1983, so there was some reason for getting the bottle. And Royal Brackla is not a whisky you come across all that often, so that’s interesting too.

Sniff:
Older, high quality whisky, as we consider that now. I bet in 1983 it was a cheaper product since the entire industry was in the slums. Anyway, now we get all excited because of significant age, lots of barley and only a gentle oak influence (since casks were expensive and reused often). It has friendly notes of vanilla, cigars, ripe pears, and tree bark.

Sip:
The palate is very friendly, although it packs a bit of heat. Less than you’d expect at 57.5% ABV. Tree bark, cigar leaves, vanilla and other classical notes like that. A minor hint of cardboard, olive oil.

Swallow:
The finish continues down the same line but does add a bit of heat before mellowing down a little bit. Lots of oak and barley notes. Less fruity than before, though.

Even though the whisky is only 15 or 16 years old, it’s a very different beast to contemporary 15 to 16 years old. It feels more ‘peaceful’ and less in-your-face than most things do now. Really a dram for quiet contemplation and some down-time, or me-time if you will.

88/100

It might be available in the secondary market. At the time of writing, the Whiskybase Marketplace has one for € 320.