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New Shoes

Royal BracklaSMWS 55.71

Producer: SMWS

February 16, 2026
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About This Whisky

Code

55.71

Distillery

Royal Brackla

Name

New Shoes

Producer

SMWS

Region

Highland

Age

14 years

ABV

55.1%

Bottler Type

Independent

Category

Scotch

Flavor Profile

Sweet, Fruity & Mellow

Nose

The whisky presents warm, cake-like aromatics reminiscent of rum sponge cake with clotted cream and honey. With time, rosewood and beeswax polish emerge alongside leather notes.

Palate

This cask delivers spiced Caribbean rum characteristics with layers of toffee apples, cocoa nibs, chocolate-coated pears, gingerbread, and perfumed bitter orange peel. Water opens up grapefruit and rum-raisin ice cream notes alongside hints of Sachertorte.

Finish

The finish carries forward the cocoa and spice elements with a lingering sweetness balanced by the oak influence from the 1st fill hogshead aging.

Overall Notes

The initial nose neat was all about a warm rummy sponge cake served with clotted cream and runny honey. After a little while a solid rosewood table polished with beeswax and an expensive pair of handmade, calf leather shoes appeared. On the palate a deliciously spiced Caribbean rum; think sweet spices, toffee apples, cocoa nibs, chocolate coated pears, gingerbread and perfumed bitter orange peel. With the addition of water, we tucked into grapefruit slices dipped in brown sugar and rum and raisin ice cream, before eating a slice of Viennese Sachertorte. Following twelve years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a 1st fill hogshead with #3 char level.