Royal Salute puts grain whisky in the spotlight with a new 21-year-old blend 

Grain whisky has long played a stalwart supporting role in the world of Scotch, providing much of the backbone behind blended whiskies without taking top billing. Royal Salute is now putting grain whiskies in the spotlight with its latest release: A 21-year-old whisky made entirely from grain whisky.

The Royal Salute 21-Year-Old The Blended Grain, which launched in Singapore on September 10, is the first grain whisky in the house’s core Classic Blends Collection.

Crafted by Master Blender Emeritus Sandy Hyslop, the whisky is an assemblage of the finest grain whisky stocks from Scotland, with every whisky in the blend aged for a minimum of 21 years and matured entirely in American oak casks. The result is a sweet and smooth whisky built around fruit, vanilla and honey notes.

On the nose, peach and red apple sit alongside honeycomb, creamy vanilla and sugared almonds, with a hint of spring florals. Flavours-wise, the palate moves into soft caramel, honey and vanilla, followed by ripe pear and apricot, marzipan and white chocolate. Toasted oak and hazelnut round out each sip of the whisky before a lingering finish anchored by honeycomb.

The release is significant not only for what is in the bottle, but also for how Royal Salute has chosen to present it. The Blended Grain is the first Royal Salute expression to be housed in a fully transparent glass flagon, rather than the house’s signature coloured ceramic vessels traditionally. This enables the amble hues of the liquid gold to be on full display.

The Royal Salute 21-Year-Old The Blended Grain was crafted specifically for the Asian market in mind. It was first launched in Taiwan in late 2020 and in South Korea in late 2022.

Accompanying the whisky is a new Royal Salute Contemporary Glass, a stemmed glass embossed with the house’s lion crest on its base. A refreshing departure from the traditional whisky tumbler or dram glass, the modern-looking slender glass is designed around shared drinking and dining experiences. As they say it in Scotland, Slàinte Mhath, or to good health!

The Royal Salute 21-Year-Old The Blended Grain is available on Shopee.