Royal Brackla 14 year old - Permutation Series Fib Whisky

This absolutely delightful Highland single malt Scotch whisky was released by FIB as a part of their Permutations Series. Bottled at natural cask strength and with no artificial colour and chill filtration, this is a wonderfully warming dram.

• Series 1: Permutations
• Original Cask Type: Bourbon Barrel
• Finishing Cask Type: 1st Fill Syrah
• Bottled: 14.12.2008
• Finish Dates: 08.08.22 - 19.12.22
• Aged 14 Years
• Bottled at Cask Strength 57.1%

Fib Tasting notes: Bramble jam dominating the centre. There is a slightly acidic surround, mixing with some lighter fresh red berry - tart, drawing in the cheeks. Cooked caramelised brambles, with a little bit of redcurrant and underripe cranberry. The finish is long and drying, vinous still, but berry-led and characterised by the slightly bitter note of gorse twigs. An interesting and unusual take on a red wine finish

Fib Whisky 

Proud Fifeans, the founders of this independent bottling company picked a name that would evoke tradition and local roots. The name Fib was chosen after one of the sons of mythological Pictish king Cruithne who gave the kingdom of Fife to his son Fib. 

Fib whisky emphasises transparency and bottles its whiskies at natural cask strength without adding artificial colouring nor using chill-filtration. 

Royal Brackla Distillery

Whisky making has taken place on this site since 1817, when the irascible Capitan William Fraser took out a licence for his Brackla distillery – mainly it would seem to put a stop to the rascally moonshiners who were making a fine living in the surrounding lands. In 1835, it was the first Scotch to be granted a Royal Warrant and the rights to call itself Royal Brackla. This seal of approval from King William IV led to Brackla being known as ‘The King’s Own Whisky’. The Capt Fraser connection lasted until 1879 and, like so many other 19th-century distilleries, it became closely associated with blending. Andrew Usher, who is recognised as having made the first commercialised blend, was agent for Royal Brackla and became a director in 1887.

It passed into the hands of Mitchell & Leict of Aberdeen, who sold it in 1926 to fellow Aberdonians John Bisset & Co (a subsidiary of Booth’s the gin distiller) and, when that firm was purchased in 1943, it became part of DCL.

The industry giant increased production in 1964, but was forced to close it down between 1985 and 1991 due to an industry surplus. Four years later, it was one of the distilleries sold to Bacardi-Martini when the then newly-created Diageo had to offload Dewar’s and attendant distilleries. Royal Brackla remained a quiet producer of malt for blending until 2014, when Dewar’s announced that a five-strong range of single malts would be launched in 2015, part of a company-wide programme dubbed The Last Great Malts.

In October 2019, Dewar’s unveiled plans for a revamped Royal Brackla range, comprising 12-, 18- and 21-year-old expressions, bottled at a higher strength of 46% abv and without caramel colouring. The new range was due to be rolled out from spring 2020.