Royal salute. The 21 shots in the name exactly overlap with the 21 years of the youngest whisky in the bottle.
This blend was created to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It got its name from a ceremony, not from a place name.
It is not a single spirit aged for 21 years. It is a blend of malt and grain whiskies, and every component must be at least 21 years old.
Unlike single malt, it contains malt whisky and grain whisky from several distilleries. Fruit, flowers, oak and smoke come from different barrels.
The number of years of maturation is not the average, but the age of the youngest spirit. Rather than adding a little old spirit and calling it 21 years old, all whisky destined for the vat must first cross the 21 year mark.
The blender selects malt whiskies with notes of pear, citrus, autumn flowers and gentle smoke. Among them, Strathisla's old malt is known to play a central role in the blend.
Long-term aged grain whisky is not simply a material for diluting malt. The vanilla scent and soft texture are added to help the different malts blend together naturally.
Just because it's old doesn't mean it tastes the same. Each cask selects different fruits, nuts, spices and oak to match the style that has been in operation since 1953.
A very thin smoke lingers behind pear and orange marmalade, vanilla and dry oak. The fact that the shape does not lean toward one axis is Blender's intended result.
Based on Royal Salute 21 Year Old The Signature Blend.
The oak at the bottom right and the malt at the bottom are solid, and the citrus, flowers, and vanilla stand at similar lengths. The wood and fruit scents of the 21st year seem to be balanced.
The peat axis stays close to the centre but is not completely folded in. The official note says that a wisp of smoke remains at the end.
This figure is not a public mixing ratio, but a value that translates the sensory impression of the reference bottling to the same six axes.
The name Royal Salute comes from the 21-gun salute fired during important ceremonies for the British royal family. The first bottle was made for the coronation in 1953, and was presented in a green porcelain flagon and velvet pouch.
The number 21 is both decoration and rule. From the beginning, the brand set the youngest whisky used in the blend to be at least 21 years old. While the goal of a typical blended Scotch is accessibility and consistency, this bottle applies the same technology to a rare, long-aged spirit.
Today, the signature expression comes in a sapphire-coloured flagon reminiscent of a crown jewel. The opaque ceramic packaging also suits the character of this whisky. Because the ceramic hides the whisky itself, the presentation asks you to trust the name and the blender's judgement.
This name is not a place name root, but a literal translation of the 21-gun royal salute.