Royal Lochnagar, Diageo's smallest distillery, goes into the Pinch, Windsor, VAT 69, and Johnnie Walker blends. And I've heard third- or eighth-hand that it's one of the main malt components for Blue Label. So there's a chance that many folks have had it, but not on its own.
I'm not sure if I've ever had a Royal Lochnagar single malt before, so I'm just going to say that this is my first. Though K&L drew rightful criticism for overstating the rarity of independent Lochnagars, indie RLs can be a challenge to find. Whiskybase has 110+ RL indies, but only 10 have been released since 2013. And this Faultline was the only one of those to make it to the US. The only other one I've seen on the shelves is the Dewar Rattray one that BevMo! released 4-5 years ago.
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Owner: Diageo
Independent Bottler: Faultline
Retailer: K&L only
Retailer: K&L only
Age: minimum 10 years
Region: Middle Eastern Highlands
NEAT
Its color is very pale. The nose starts with a load of ethyl with buttery oak behind it. Give it a couple minutes...and......Floral perfume. Lots of soap. Lots of vanilla. Lemons. A little bit of saltwater. The palate is REALLY hot. A little bitter and soapy. Lots of sticky sugars, flower petals, and vanilla. The finish is heat. Barrel char, vanilla, and woody bitterness.Okay, that was not what I'd identify as pleasant. I'm going to water it down...
WITH WATER (~46%abv)
The nose is still perfumy, but clearer now. Limes, roses, a hint of malt. Kasugai peach candy, caramel, and confectioner's sugar. Still some ethyl in there. The palate is pretty malty and mild now. Sugary and grassy. Some lime zestiness and a slight farm note. The finish is clearer too. Better bitterness. Lots of woody vanillaness. Perfumy.
As noted above, I received this sample from Smoky Peat. Mr. Peat is more of an optimist about current whiskies than I am......and he gave this whisky one of his two or three lowest scores ever. The reddit review of this Royal Lochnagar is not kinder.
I'm not sure if I've ever written the following: I do not recommend even trying this whisky neatly. Water is a must. While that still doesn't turn it into a great whisky, hydration does cool its crazy heat and washes away the soap. It still seems like a very young malt once it's reduced, which while that is not a bad thing, it may not be to everyone's taste. It's sugary, grassy, and perfumed. It's drinkable at 46%abv, perhaps even more so at 40%. So keep that in mind if you have issues with your bottle once it's opened.
Availability - Sold out :^|
Pricing - $50-$60
Rating - 74 (with water only)
