Regal by Design
In the rural Scottish Highlands, ‘new’ and ‘glitzy’ don’t have much currency. And the makers of the nation’s most famous export are more than happy to watch as several generations of smartphones run their course in the time it takes a single vintage of the finest whisky to mature.
At Strahisla distillery, located above Aberdeen in the country’s north-east, the first bottle of Royal Salute was produced to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Since then, Royal Salute 21 (S$280/RM865) has the distinction of being the only label that requires blends to have aged in the barrel for a minimum of 21 years.
The resulting whisky is poured into handcrafted bottles made from porcelain, crystal, gold and granite. On the nose, Royal Salute 21 has rich aromas of pears and citrus fruits with the fragrance of autumn flowers, together with notes of vanilla, oak, sherry and smoke. On the palate, the smokiness and pears are joined by orange marmalade flavours together with spices and hazelnuts that give a long lingering finish.
