A favourite of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, being conveniently situated close by Balmoral Castle. Royal Lochnagar has been converted from a blender’s whisky to a distillery that focuses on single malt. Small and traditional, it is still Diageo’s ‘training distillery’ for staff and potential managers. You know, wooden washbacks, open mashtun, wormtubs and no computers.
We’re trying the base expression: Royal Lochnagar 12 Year Old.
Royal Lochnagar 12 yo
(40%, OB +/- 2017)
Nose: simple aromas, some dusty malt with hints of gummi bears and vanilla. Honey biscuits and cake dough. Soft nutty notes. Hints of linseed oil and candles (both waxy and floral) make it a bit more interesting.
Mouth: initial sweetness, again very much on the malty notes, with nougat and a surprising grassy / salty side, maybe even a hint of peat. Lemon peel. Walnuts and peppercorns.
Finish: fairly short, dry and malty, with a slight woody sourness.
Maybe not exactly royalty, it’s smooth but also a bit weak, isn’t 40% a thing from the past? Luckily a few elements prevent it from becoming too middle-of-the-road. A decent dram. Around € 40 from Master of Malt or TWE.
Score: 79/100