All hail the king… and the whisky released in his honour
England is getting a new king in just a few weeks, which is a pretty big deal. But the world is getting a new whisky to celebrate the occasion—and not just any whisky, but an expensive limited edition scotch. Royal Salute is releasing its Coronation of King Charles III Edition, a US$25,000 blended scotch that is fit for kings and queens and commoners with cash to spare.
Royal Salute was created as a 21-year-old whisky to honour the coronation of Queen Elizabeth and the 21 gun salute that marked the occasion 70 years ago. This new expression, however, was the work of master blender Sandy Hyslop, who blended together 53 malt and grain whiskies—that number representing the year 1953 when the whisky was first released. The King Charles III has no age statement, but was finished for two years in a first fill sherry cask.
“This expression is a momentous tribute to both the British Monarchy and Royal Salute’s unique origin story,” said Hyslop in a press release. “I wanted to mark this memorable occasion with a blend that was as iconic and special as the original Royal Salute 21 Year Old Signature Blend that was created in honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Crafting this blend has been the perfect occasion to reflect on the innovative approach we’ve taken to blending whisky for the past 70 years, and a moment to look forward to what can be achieved in years to come.”
The new expression comes in a blue Dartington Crystal decanter that is supposed to represent the Imperial State Crown. The bottle comes housed in a wooden box inspired by the design of Westminster Abbey, and inside you’ll find artwork modeled after the crests of each country that makes up the UK. According to the brand, tasting notes include currants, dark chocolate, and roasted chestnuts on the palate, followed by sweet figs, ginger and spice on the finish.
There are only 500 bottles available. Find it at select travel shops in airports in London, Amsterdam, Sydney, and others, as well as in other significant Scotch markets in Asia Pacific such as Hainan, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.
This story was first published on Robb Report USA
