Spirits Of The Age

Brands like Royal Salute and Hennessy X.O are setting the stage for the next evolution of spirit appreciation with unique casks and limited-edition decanters

- JONATHAN HO

WHEN TORQUHIL IAN CAMPBELL, the 13th Duke of Argyll ‒ one of Scotland’s oldest families, whose lineage is connected to the ancient High Kings of Ireland ‒ puts his name behind Royal Salute as its brand ambassador, you can be rest assured that the brand is not mere marketing hyperbole, but rather a statement of fact. Like its name suggests, Royal Salute was created in 1953 to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on the day of her coronation; and like all royal monarchs, there can only be one.

Only One

Scotland’s most prestigious and well-aged blended whisky range, Royal Salute has marked each significant event in the lives of the British Monarchy to date and is unique in having only ever used whiskies aged at least 21 years in its blends. It is this unique commitment to quality and tradition that has given rise to the informal motto, “We Begin Where Others End”. Hence, its launch of a Cask Programme giving whisky aficionados the opportunity to purchase an entire cask from Royal Salute’s esteemed vault at the historic Strathisla Distillery in Scotland is an undeniable flex for whisky connoisseurs.

Established in 1786, Strathisla is the oldest working distillery in the Scottish Highlands and arguably the most beautiful. Beneath the iconic twin pagodas, the copper stills have a distinctive shape that determines the unique character of every drop of Strathisla spirits. With only 21 casks available at once, each cask is meticulously blended, matured for a minimum of 21 years, and then selected for the Cask Programme, making each rich, fruity and full-bodied whisky a rarity and a one-of-a-kind whisky.