This Royal Brackla 2007 was matured for around 12 years in refill hogsheads before given an additional 2 year finish in a fresh Pedro Ximénez butt.
It says Christmas Edition on the label, which also includes a Christmas tree. This was part of the festive selection from Berry Bros in 2021, but it’s still easy to find in stores.
Royal Brackla 14 yo 2007 ‘Christmas Edition’ (50,6%, Berry Bros & Rudd 2021, Pedro Ximénez butt #03086, 539 btl.)
Nose: quite a heady profile, with clove oil and varnish up front. Then gingery notes and hints of plum eau-de-vie, as well as dried apple slices, orange peels and some melons. Aniseed and dates appear after a while. Spicy but thin.
Mouth: more Christmassy now, showing a lot of baking spice. Nutmeg, clove, cinnamon and anise. Also hints of walnut cake, some tarte tatin and toffee. Apple and orange flavours in the background. Then some nutty notes and a hint of tannins as well.
Finish: medium long, still focused on oak spice, alongside walnuts and citrus peel.
If you expect the classic dark fruits and chocolate sweetness from the PX cask, then you may be disappointed. The sherry influence is mostly in the abundant spicy notes. Certainly Christmassy but lacking some richness. Still available from TyndrumWhisky for instance.