Royal Brackla 1970 & Caol Ila 1981

Cawdor plays has played host to Royal Brackla since the 1812, when it was founded by Captain William Fraser. It was granted the ‘Royal’ warrant in 1835 as King William IV enjoyed its whisky on numerous occasions. A huge honour that only a couple of distilleries can claim to have received. Brackla today is under the ownership of Bacardi after it acquired the Dewar’s distilleries in 1998. It’s always been a well-regarded malt, if slightly unseen at retail and mostly destined for blends. It has taken Dewar’s decades to build up the inventory, as the deal with Diageo did not include any pre-1998 stocks. Now taking centre stage in the last great malts series, we can explore what made this whisky so favoured by royalty, with sherried expressions being particularly enjoyable.