A beautiful whisky, though a bittersweet dram on the occasion of the tasting. Pomp and circumstance in the air, overlooking the Tower of London on the banks of the Thames, I raised a glass in honour of Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate 70 years of public service, after returning from watching her state funeral, and toasted To Absent Friends.
Dark sugar and sweetflower regnant, Royal Salute 21 Signature Blend is a beautifully balanced blended Scotch, delicate yet purposeful.
Roadtested in the Savage Garden, London
12 floors up looking down on the White Keep in the Tower of London, which for two hundred years was the tallest building in Britain, Savage Garden is a hidden Top Shelf favourite, secret in the City of London.
With history and heritage in every dram, Royal Salute was launched by Chivas Brothers on 2 June 1953 in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on the day of her Coronation. Named after the ceremonial 21 gun salute fired to mark royal occasions, all Royal Salute whiskies are aged for a minimum of 21 years.
The dram
Whisky
Blended Scotch Whisky
Bottler
Chivas Brothers
Chill Filtered
No
Country
Scotland
Region
–
Series
Signature Blend
Colouring
Yes
Age
21 years
ABV
40.0% Vol
Distillery
Strathisla
Bottled
–
Number of bottles
–
Flavour profile
Nose: Light, floral orchards, sweet oak and smoke, a hint of vanilla and waft of sherry, hints of hidden depths and wet catafalque in the rain.
Palate: Sweet citrus, oak and malt, lightly spiced nuts roasting over a fading campfire caramelising in honey, a whiff of smoke.
Finish: Medium, sweet, a hint of smoke, fruity and fun, bittersweet oak notes, leading to a nut roasted end.
A multi-layered blended Scotch, beautifully balanced, delicate yet purposeful. Majestic.
If you’re ever in Savage Garden, tell them Ricky sent you.
Slàinte Mhath
2022
To paraphrase the immortal words of Connor MacLeod, 2022 was a very eventful year, especially if you were British.
After seventy years of dedicated public service, Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the age of ninety-six, Russia invaded Ukraine to return major war to Europe, Britain had three Prime Ministers in two months, and the world’s population breached eight billion.
Covid eased and the world opened up, Iranians began protesting after the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a woman refereed a World Cup football match, Britain had its first Prime Minister of colour (although this wasn’t seen as a big deal by most, as the country had already had three female Prime Ministers, plus PMs that were Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and Jewish, and even PMs born in Canada and America) and, on a more personal note, I won a 10k swim race in London then celebrated with a dram or six at the venerated Milroy’s of Soho.
Remember, times change, people change, true majesty endures.
