Speyside Single Malt, 12 Years, 50% ABV, $79

Smells of grass, mild peat, feint smoke and peanut brittle. The taste is very tangy and sweet, then peppery followed by a warm leathery peppered finish. Lemon, orange, vanilla and ginger start strong and fade very slowly. The pepper starts slowly and builds to a crescendo, then slowly diminishes into the mildly smoked finish. A splash of water tones down the citrus and spice elements and reveals a bit more peat and smoke. The finish is very long and peppery with the leathery bitterness persisting for minutes. This is a very complex and tasty whisky. Only the pepper seems to be out of balance even after dilution; however, I like a spicy whisky so this is fine by me. The more I drink, the more the citrus notes are evident… grapefruit and orange.

The bottler says:

A 12 year old Royal Brackla, this is part of Douglas Laing’s Old Malt Cask series. This particular release was bottled to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. One of just 250 bottles.