Stop number 70 on the SDT is Royal Lochnagar. Lochnagar was the first distillery to ever receive a Royal warrant, which basically means it was the first to provide scotch to the Royal Palace, and thus granted the title “Royal” Lochnagar. This 12 year old Highland single malt is bottled at 40% ABV and is chill filtered and has colorant added making it an amber color. Fresh stone fruits on the nose. Apricots and red plums. Oranges, tangerines and marmalade. Melons, strawberries , blackberries and a touch of vanilla. A light but elegant oak. Typical Highland profile so far. Floral honey, light mint and herbs. A little nutmeg and ginger. Strong notes for only 40%. A sherry sweetness with maple syrup and some cherries forms after a while. The faintest trace of wood smoke and a strange aromatic note I can’t quite place. Not bad at all. The palate echoes the nose with the apricots and tangerines. Honey, herbal tea and light oak. Licorice, ginger and light vanilla. Not a very complex palate, but that’s not always a bad thing. A medium-light bodied mouthfeel, mouth coating, a little creamy and dry. The finish is medium length, very dry with apricots, oak and herbal tea. A strong flavor profile given the low ABV which brings to mind the Cragganmore 12 year old. I know that one is from Speyside, but it’s also at 40% and has strong flavors. A really nice and fruity nose, but the palate and finish fall a little short. For around $50 it’s a pretty good value, but there are better bottles out there. Would have been a 3.75 were it not for the very dry finish and the shortcomings of the palate. So a 3.5 it is. Thanks to @PBMichiganWolverine for the sample. Cheers