Got Royal baby fever? To celebrate, here are the ten favourite whiskies of The Royal Family

let’s begin

With the arrival of the second royal baby of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge imminent, the world will be celebrating and so too will The Royal Family. And what better way to celebrate than with a good glass of Glenfiddich or a fantastic dram of Famous Grouse.

Whether it be a royal birth, a Diamond Jubilee or a royal wedding, an array of exclusive limited edition whiskies have been produced to mark these momentous occasions and here we take a look at the ten favourite whiskies dedicated to just about everything royal.

The Prince of Wales bestowed a Royal Warrant on Laphroaig Distillery in 1994 and his penchant for a glass of whisky became apparent. In celebration of this honour, the distillery produced Laphroaig 10 Year Old Royal Warrant though according to those closest to Prince Charles, he prefers the 15 Year Old in the this particular range.

When Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 60 years on the Throne in 2012, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth held immense celebrations. In commemoration of Her Majesty’s 60 years as Queen, Diageo launched John Walker and Sons Diamond Jubilee edition. The blend of rare malt and grain Scotch whiskies distilled in 1952 was bottled at Royal Lochnager Distillery which is close to the Balmoral Estate. Only 60 editions of this blend were released for sale.

Launched to celebrate the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana back in 1981, the Glenlivet 25 Year Old Royal Wedding Reserve is now most popular on the second hand market, selling for around £1200. This edition is described as having a very heavy sherry influence and is displayed in an ornate wooden presentation box.

English Whisky Co. Royal Wedding

Appealing to royal wedding fever back in 2011, the English Whisky Company launched its Royal Wedding edition to celebrate the marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton. Royal Wedding’s expression is a combination of rum and port and is now selling for around £75 a bottle.

Although The Famous Grouse haven’t released an edition dedicated to a royal occasion, it is one of a few whisky brands to have been granted a Royal Warrant, receiving it in 1984. Only last year did The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge show the Royal Family’s continued support for the brand by opening The Famous Grouse Experience based at the Glenturret Distillery.

Launched in June 2014 by Diageo to celebrate the 75th anniversary of their own Crown Royal Canadian whisky and also the brand’s presentation to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth back in 1939 with their Monarch edition. Crown Royal was first established by a Canadian entrepreneur in 1939 who wished to present King George VI and Queen

Elizabeth with a special blend to commemorate their North America trip shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War.

Another brand launched to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, Macallan’s two special editions in 2012 completed its trio of royal whiskies following its launch of Royal Wedding in 2011. These special editions are presented in a Gold, Windsor Red and Blue box inspired by The Queen’s Coat of Arms and feature two bottles of The Macallan single malt.

The 80th anniversary of John Walker & Sons Royal Warrant, bestowed by King George V in 1935, was celebrated earlier this year. This brand was made using liquid sourced from distilleries in operation at the time of King George V’s reign in the 1930s and contains liquid from the now mothballed Port Ellen distillery on Islay.

The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay officially opened Scotland’s first single estate distillery, Ballindalloch, earlier this month. Liquid from Ballindalloch’s newly filled casks will be bottled as special editions and proceeds from the sales of these bottles will be donated to charities specifically chosen by Prince Charles and Camilla.

Glenfiddich launched a single cask of a 29 year old single malt in honour of the UK team competing in the Walking with the Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge, whose Patron is Prince Harry. Named Spirit of a Nation, the whisky was produced as part of the brand’s sponsorship of Team Glenfiddich, a team of four wounded servicemen and women who embarked on a race to the South Pole last year alongside Prince Harry himself.

So there we have ten of The Royal Family’s most favourite whiskies though one has to assume that there are plenty more whiskies out there that are favoured by royalty and who knows that when Royal Baby Cambridge 2 is born, there could be another dedication added to that list!

Tags: Royal BabyRoyal FamilyWhisky
Greg

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.

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