The 2016 bottled Royal Brackla 21 Years is a classic sherry-style vintage from the distillery, characterized by dried fruit, spices, and an elegant oak structure resulting from years of aging, combined with Royal Brackla's signature floral and fruity aromas and clean palate.
Before the official launch of the current 12/18/21-year sherry cask maturation series in 2021, Royal Brackla already had a 21-year bottling, commonly seen as the 40% ABV version. The "2016 bottled" version is mostly an early official bottling or a specific market version, differing in cask type and bottling intensity from the current 46% ABV series with triple sherry finishes in Oloroso/Palo Cortado/PX. Overall, the 21-year bottlings typically feature more traditional sherry maturation or blended cask maturation, emphasizing smoothness, sweetness, and dried fruit as the dominant characteristics, rather than an extremely intense sherry bomb. Aroma: Vanilla cream, ripe berries, raisins, and orange peel, accompanied by subtle spices and dried herbs; a rounded sweetness.
Palmistry: Medium to full-bodied, with toffee, milk chocolate, roasted nuts, and spices, along with hints of herbs and malt; overall smooth.
Finish: Medium-long, with notes of cocoa, sherry sweetness, and a touch of oak spice; a warm and elegant finish rather than an intensely smoky one.
If it's a vintage from around 2016 with the old label or recipe, it's generally considered representative of the "pre-reform era" Royal Brackla. Compared to the current high-sherry finish version, its style is more classic, restrained, and delicate.