What is Royal Salute

Photo Courtesy HGH Strip

Last night I was watching the Korean crime flick The Thieves when the inspiration for this post came about. In the beginning of the movie two of the thieves are in the office of the person who they are planning to steal from and are offered some tea. The older of the two Thieves who goes by the name Chewingum (for obvious reason seen a little later in the film) notices an ornate blue bottle on a table and asks "Is that Royal Salute?" and proceeds to pour herself some in a rocks glass. The liquid was a dark brown and she drank it straight up. So this got me wondering: What Is Royal Salute. This is what I found.

According to the Royal Salute website:

Royal Salute begins where other whiskies end, as only the most precious whiskies ages at least 21 years are used to create the masterful and sophisticated blends.

Originally created in 1953 by Chivas Brothers a tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II upon her coronation, today Royal Salute continues to celebrate inspiring and noble leadership in all walks of life.

The home of Royale Salute is Strathisla, the oldest working distillery in the Highlands of Scotland. It is here that our Master Blender select the very finest casks from the world's finest collection of highly age whiskies, the most precious of which are stored on the lock and key in the Royal Salute vaults at the distillery.

A leader in its own right, Royal Salute is now appreciated by discerning connoisseurs the world over, and is held as the ultimate mark of respect.

Now that we've established who makes it, I started to look at the selection of higher end whiskies on their website. From what I can tell from the bottle on the screen, the type of whisky that she was drinking was the 21 year old blend.

According to the listing for the Royal Salute 21 year old on their website:

In 1953, Chivas Brothers paid tribute to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by creating a limited edition of very special blend whisky. Only 2,500 cases were produced for worldwide distribution. The first flagons, adorned with the Royal Crest, was sealed on the day of her coronation. The name chosen was considered a fitting tribute to the new monarch. It was called Royal Salute, after the 21-gun salute - the ultimate mark of respect, reserved for tributes to dignitaries and nations alike. Appropriately each of the whiskies in the blend with the least 21 years old and thus, Royale Salute 21 year old was born. 

Here are the Tasting notes for the Royal Salute 21 year old:

- Appearance: Deep, golden amber colour
- Nose: Rich, free aromas and a sweet fragrance of flowers
- Taste: Full, deep fruity flavors with a subtle smokiness
- Finish: Rich, long and lingering

The other whiskies that fall under the Royal Salute brand umbrella are the Hundred Cask Selection, the 38 Year Old Stone of Destiny and the 62 Gun Salute.  

The price for the 21 Gun Salute on Amazon is roughly $180 with the 38 Year Old Stone of Destiny at roughly $560 and the 62 Gun Salute at $3,200 all at the 750ml bottle size. I was unable to find a price for the Hundred Cask Selection.

So my questions for those of you out there are these? Have any of you had it? If so, how is it. Let me know what you think.

Until Then, Happy Drinking
Sisco Vanilla

FYI:
Here is the movie poster for the movie The Thieves. I highly enjoyed the flick. You should all give it a watch. Its on Netflix currently streaming.