231027 Collection Digital Cover 1 - Flipbook - Page 90
ROYAL LOCHNAGAR DISTILLERY
“The 1981 Highland Single Malt is so impressive that
it’s amongst eight whiskies in the most recent instalment
of the Prima & Ultima series, Diageo’s annual release
of whiskies that are either the first or last of their kind.”
It opened in 1845 as Lochnagar Distillery, named after the nearby
Munro in the Cairngorms that neighbour His Majesty’s Balmoral Estate.
In autumn of 1848, the “Royal” addition to its name followed after a visit
from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Ever since, the distillery has
been no stranger to Royal guests. King Charles (then Prince) has visited
on three occasions: to mark the 150th anniversary of the distillery in 1995,
and again in 1998 to mark Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s visit. In
2018, King Charles was presented with his own single cask (a gift
from three decades prior).
Then in 2021 came the ultimate cause for celebration: the granting
of a Royal Warrant. The distillery commissioned artist Thomas Oates,
son of a senior carriage restorer, whose family has worked for generations
at The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, to hand paint the Scottish
Royal Arms in full heraldic colours on the first cask filled after receiving
the news. This cask is now on display as it matures, but the steps to get
here are no mean feat.
88
First, malted barley and crystal-clear water from the nearby Scarnock
springs are combined, then a team of six skilled operators get to
(manual) work, running a long fermentation and slow distillation
process to achieve the finest quality of the spirit, which is then usually
matured in European oak casks on site. The distillery itself, which
has earned the Green Tourism Gold Award, retains a traditional
appearance, including pagoda kiln heads, first invented around the
1890s to improve air draught.
The result? A delicate and golden Highland Single Malt that’s full
of flavour. The most sought-after, Royal Lochnagar 1981, has aromas
of honeysuckle, rose and bramble, a smooth and creamy texture,
and an overall sweet taste that’s slightly waxy, with an intensely oaky
and spicy start. It’s so impressive that it’s amongst eight whiskies in
the most recent instalment of the Prima & Ultima series, Diageo’s
annual release of whiskies that are either the first or last of their kind.