Drambuie 15 year old and the Royal Legacy of 1745 launched into the Australian market with Jonathan Brown, Director of Drambuie Ltd.
Drambuie is a blend of Scotch whisky, sugar syrup flavoured with heather honey and a secret recipe of herbs and spices that dates back to 1745 in Scotland. They make their own blended whisky from Speyside, the purpose of which is solely to marry it with the other ingredients.
Drambuie Original (40% ABV) is made with blended whisky base using 4 to 7 year old grain whiskies and 5 to 17 year old malt whiskies. The liqueur was re-invented in 2009 and marketed towards younger palates. Drambuie 15 year old and The Royal Legacy of 1745 were created to appeal to the astute drinkers and malt whisky experimenters.
At a private tasting, Jonathan Brown, Director of Drambuie Ltd, told us that with Drambuie 15, the aim was to bring out the whisky credentials of the liqueur and create something less sweet and more whisky that can also be used in cocktails and mixed drinks.
For Drambuie 15 year old (43% ABV), a vatted whisky base is used, the youngest being 15 years old, and blended with the herbs and spices recipes “in an utterly divine way”, Jonathan said. The whiskies all come from Speyside, a region in Scotland known for sweet and floral characteristics of its whisky. Drambuie 15 is two thirds less sweet than Drambuie Original but still qualifies as a liqueur. Stronger in alcohol but less sweet on the nose, the result is a lot dryer with the initial Drambuie on the palate which lingers then fades away to reveal the Speyside whisky flavour.
The Royal Legacy of 1745 (46% ABV) is a limited edition with only 2250 bottles produced. Made of a vatted malt base using 5-18 year old whiskies, it is blended with the elixir base and aged in ex-Bourbon casks for 6 months. Drambuie call it a “cask-infused whisky liqueur”. It has subtle oak and vanilla on the nose, smooth on the tongue with lingering spices, and citrus top notes.
Both can be enjoyed neat or over ice.
The well-guarded Jacobite Collection was on display, a premium whisky liqueur made from one barrel of 45 year old blended malt whisky. Only 150 bottles are produced retailing at $4,999.
This article was originally published on March 24, 2012 on our sister website Gourmantic.
