Royal Brackla 1993, 20 Year Old, Mackillop's Choice 50.1%

Another first-time malt for me.

Royal Brackla, so Ralfy tells us, was used in the first ever Scotch blends, so it's a whisky that's been around for a while.

It's fair to say you don't see a lot of it about, though. This was a sample from whiskybase that I think the guys threw in for free amongst some others I bought.

Royal Brackla 1993, 20 Year Old,  Mackillop's Choice 50.1%

Nose: Intensely fruity at first - lots and lots of green apples. But it's also quite floral, perhaps even verging on herbal, too. A little later something a little cheesey emerges and begins to dominate, becoming quite distracting as I go to taste.

Palate: Piercing intensity as it hits the back palate, forcing its way up along the roof of the mouth. The apples remain, coupled with some sharper citrus notes. There's also pepper, mingling with a nice whack of malt. And cheese.

Finish: There's decent length here. The malt and citrus continue on the finish, now joined with something like mustard. Can't get rid of that cheesey element, though. Although perhaps now it's more of a memory than a distinct flavour.

This was interesting. Quite enjoyable to drink, in a whack-in-the-face-in-the-morning kind of way. Not sure about the cheese though.