A self proclaimed chocolate-bomb, this Royal Brackla was one of the most interesting releases from North Star’s 23rd Cask Series set. Aged 8 Years in a PX cask, it picked up a decadent, chocolate-y bitterness, similar to perhaps Milka dark, or perhaps Lindt, but certainly not Hershey’s!
Official Tasting Notes:
Nose: Liqueur in dark chocolate. cocoa powder
Palate: More dark chocolate flavours – not Hershey’s
Finish: An abyss, no, whirlpool of chocolatey-ness
North Star have quickly become one of The Oak Barrel’s favourite independent bottlers. Exceptional cask selections at very reasonable prices, they are exciting, fun whiskies – even when they’re very serious – which are designed to be drunk and shared. Winner of Scottish Whisky Awards’ Best Independent Bottler of the Year the last two years running. Glenrothes in Speyside is a renowned single malt through the distillery’s official bottlings, and while there have been some excellent independent bottlings, they are getting harder to find.
Part of the Dewar’s group, in 1835 it became the first Scotch whisky to receive a royal warrent and Brackla was renamed ‘Royal Brackla’. The whisky is light and perfumed, with fruit and sometimes just a hint of smoke. Fermentations of 68 hours and slow distillation in stills with ascending lyne arms encourages reflux and the fruity note we taste in their whiskies.
