Let’s close out highlands distilleries week with another pick for Binny’s in Chicago. Unlike Wednesday’s Teaninich, this one was bottled by Gordon & MacPhail and while it’s also from a hogshead, it’s from a refill sherry hogshead. The distillery is another that I’ve not reviewed very many malts from: Brackla, or as they style themselves, Royal Brackla. After this review I will have reviewed only two more Bracklas than I have malts distilled by Ardnarmurchan (see Monday’s review). Well, I hope this one—which is older than both the two previous combined—will be quite a lot better than either: this has not been a great week so far on the blog for highland malts. The portents are good. The last Brackla I reviewed was also a Gordon & MacPhail pick for Binny’s and I liked it a lot—I reviewed that one four and a half years ago. And I also quite liked the first one I reviewed—that was almost 11 years ago, only a few weeks after I started this blog. Where does the time go? Anyway, let’s see what this one is like.

Royal Brackla 22, 1994 (50.5%; G&M for Binny’s; refill sherry hogshead 8079; from a bottle split)

Nose: Rich raisiny sherry with some toffee and some orange peel mixed in. A slightly metallic note on the second sniff but it’s the toffee that’s the top note now. As it sits there’s some buttered toast and some roasted malt along with some sweeter orange and some honey. With a few drops of water it’s all about the toffee again.

Palate: Rich sherry here as well with the orange peel leading the way and some earthy, leafy notes as I swallow. I could swear there’s some smoke in here as well—or at least something setting off that receptor,. A good drinking strength; good texture. Continues in this very tasty vein. Brown butter and apricot jam emerge with time. Water makes it brighter and pulls out some oak.

Finish: Long. The sherry notes transition to roasted malt.

Comments: Just lovely sherried whisky of the old school. For refill wood this was quite active. Wish I had a bottle. I’d drink it neat if I did. I certainly hope I won’t go another 4.5 years before tasting another Brackla this good.

Rating: 90 points.