Royal Brackla 2006 11yo (Secret Spirits)

This is a Royal Brackla which was distilled in 2006, aged in Bourbon casks for 11 years, then bottled at cask strength in 2017. It was bottled by Secret Spirits, presumably for this advent calendar. It was cask #31878.

This is part of a series of blind tastings from the “The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 5th Edition” advent calendar. I do not know what is in the calendar, so every one of these reviews is 100% no prior knowledge.

1. Macduff 2003 14yo (Single Cask Nation)
2. Wemyss Wooden Chest
3. Lost Distillery Company Auchnagie Classic
4. Glen Moray 2008 9yo #5764 (Secret Spirits)
5. Craigellachie 12yo 2006 Cask Strength (Secret Spirits)
6. Exclusive Malts Islay Sherry Cask (Laphroaig)
7. Adelphi Breath of Speyside 2006 (11yo)
8. Balmenach 2004 13yo (Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask)
9. Glen Moray 2007 10yo (A.D. Rattray)
10. Royal Brackla 2006 11yo (Secret Spirits)
11. Wemyss Delicious Burst
12. Lost Distillery Company Stratheden Classic
13. Auchinderom - Peated Glenglassaugh (Malt Whisky Company)
14. Knockdhu 2009 9yo (A.D. Rattray)
15. Caol Ila 2009 9yo (Secret Spirits)
16. Wemyss Nectar Grove
17. Glentauchers 2008 10yo (Secret Spirits)
18. Glenallachie 2009 9yo (Secret Spirits)
19. Williamson (Laphroaig) 2005 13yo (A.D. Rattray)
20. Stones of Stenness Orkney Aged 18yo (Single Cask Nation)
21. Inchgower 1995 21yo (Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask)
22. Towiemore Archivist (Lost Distillery Company)
23. North British 1988 30yo (A.D. Rattray)
24. Inchmurrin 1996 21yo (Secret Spirits)
25. Glen Grant 1988 30yo (A.D. Rattray)

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Distiller: Royal Brackla (Bacardi)
Bottler: Secret Spirits
Distilled: 2006
Bottled: 2017
ABV: 57%
Age: 11yo
Cask type: Bourbon
Source: The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 5th Ed.
Setting: Blind

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Nose: Vanilla, dried crushed leaves, some yellow fruit. Pretty straightforward light speysidey nose. Not particularly young, not particularly old.
Palate: Bright and waxy, some mild vanilla and custard.
Finish: Lingers on a heady alcoholic yellow fruit note, medium long finish. Some mild bitterness in the end.
Overall: OK, Advent Calendar. Enough with the bourbon cask speysides. It’s beginning to get seriously boring now. This could basically have been the same whisky as the past two days. Only difference is that it seems a little more heat-forward and a little older.
Rank: 4