On her Majesty's service (Royal Lochnagar)
Royal Lochnagar is an iconic distillery that ticks all the whisky lovers’ boxes. Ian Buxton visited it
Imagine one of those â50 things to do before you dieâ lists. âVisit a distilleryâ would have to be right up there (even for non whisky drinkers). But which one?
Well, we will all have our favourites, but a very reasonable case could be made for Royal Lochnagar. If you could only ever visit one distillery in your life this might just be the one to choose.
High praise indeed, so what makes it so special?
For one thing, itâs small. That means itâs easy for the visitor, even one uninitiated in the mysteries of malt, to appreciate whatâs going on. Everything is on a human scale.
Secondly, itâs very beautiful. The setting helps, of course. Royal Lochnagarâs next door neighbour is Balmoral, holiday home to our royal family, and they have an eye for the finer things in life.
All the surrounding countryside in the valley of the lovely River Dee is outstandingly attractive. Itâs sheltered and lush, with gently rolling hills, yet with the Cairngorms at its back. But if the location is a handsome one, the distillery lives up to it â trim, scrupulously clean and tidy and with elegant public facilities.
Thirdly, as we shall discover, there are one or two features that stand out for the enthusiast in the distilling process itself.
And finally, in case I donât mention this later, it makes some very fine whisky.
However, it hasnât always been such an idyllic place. There was an earlier Lochnagar distillery, founded by James Robertson, a former illicit distil.....
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By Ian Buxton
Section : Distillery Focus
Page number : 32
