On June 2, 1953, Queen Elizabeth II was formally crowned as the monarch of England. As one Royal ascended the throne, another was born to mark the occasion – Royal Salute, created by the Chivas brothers as a gift for her coronation. Every bottle released by the Speyside whisky brand since has upheld its legacy as a tribute to the British monarchy – and the 62 Gun Salute collection is the pinnacle of this heritage.
Inspired by the grandeur of the 62-gun salute ceremony, one of the highest forms of ceremonial tribute in British royal tradition, this prestigious collection consists of three exceptional blends that bring to life the spectacle, intensity, and tradition of this honorary tribute. To craft these blends, Royal Salute’s Master Blender Sandy Hyslop meticulously handpicked the finest long-matured malt and grain whiskies that embody the ultimate expression of honour and celebration.
Considered the crown of Royal Salute’s permanent whisky range, the 62 Gun Salute trio consists of the Royal Salute 62 Gun Salute Original Reserve, bursting with rich fruit, creamy vanilla, and a warm, lingering finish; The American Oak Reserve, presenting ripe tropical fruit flavours that reflect the intensity of the ceremony; and The Peated Reserve, capturing the subtle smokiness that drifts over the City of London long after the salute.
And who better to share the significance of this collection than Torquhil Ian Campbell, 13th Duke of Argyll and Royal Salute’s Patron, who has both witnessed the ceremony and tasted the 62 Gun Salute trio? FirstClasse had the honour of speaking to His Grace on his historical connection to the whisky brand, his memories of past 62 gun-salutes, and his favourite expression from the range.
As the Duke of Argyll, tell us about your connection to Royal Salute and how the 62 Gun Salute collection expands on this relationship.
His Grace, Torquill Ian Campbell (HG): I have had the honour of being the global ambassador for Royal Salute since 2007. For me, it’s a great privilege to represent such an iconic brand – I consider it to be the number one luxury blended Scotch whisky. It was first introduced in 1953 as the only luxury blended Scotch whisky at the time, and over the years, the brand has celebrated many royal events and traditions.
Today, we’re looking at three references from the 62 Gun Salute range that have really challenged the boundaries of age and blending. They sit at the very peak of what you can do with whiskies, so it’s very special.
I’ve been to several of the [62-gun salute] ceremonies, and it’s a very noisy, smoky, unique occasion. For me, having witnessed it and then taste and talk about these whiskies that Sandy Hyslop has created, which draw from the elements of the ceremony – whether it’s the smokiness from the guns or the complexity of the operations that go into it – is a complete privilege. Now, I just hope to impart this knowledge that I have to other people.
What is your fondest recollection of past 62-gun salute ceremonies?
HG: So, the 21-gun salute is the highest mark of respect that you can pay a monarch, but there are always exceptions. If the ceremony takes place at a royal palace, which the Tower of London is, you get given another 21 guns. And because the Tower of London is within the old city of London, where there are 20 boroughs, you get another 20 guns, which adds up to 62.
When we launched the original 62 Gun Salute in 2010 for the Queen’s official birthday, we had a dinner in the White Tower, which is the central bit of the Tower of London. We brought all our guests to the event in 62 Rolls-Royces, and they went all around London in a great big convoy. That was quite special.
How would you describe the evolution of Royal Salute’s prestige whiskies over the years?
HG: Royal Salute started with whiskies aged a minimum of 21 years, so we don’t make anything younger than that. Over the years, we’ve been able to offer older and older whiskies. At the same time, we have been very innovative. For example, we’ve had our range of polo editions – these are designed to be lighter; to be enjoyed in the afternoon rather than in the evening. We’re constantly trying to find ways to do things differently, in our packaging and the styles that we offer.
Yes, we are marking occasions; we only do things for a particular reason whether it’s a coronation, a polo edition, or celebrating a ceremony or event or some royal artifact. For example, the Stone of Destiny represents the stone that goes under the coronation chair that all the kings and queens are crowned on, so that’s a very regal occasion. But we’re constantly trying to find different things that we can take inspiration from.
Are there any personal rituals or traditions you have when enjoying a dram of Royal Salute?
HG: I drink whiskies lots of different ways, whether it’s neat, in a cocktail, or with water; but the most important thing is to be able to share the experience with other people.
How would you enjoy each release in the 62 Gun Salute collection – any specific settings or pairings come to mind?
HG: No, there’s no set way of doing it. These are not bottles that you should put in a locked case in your bar and let them collect dust. It’s a special collection, yes, but it’s not limited-edition, so it’s there to be enjoyed whenever you like.
You can open a magazine and read all about some really special, unique whisky that’s just been released, and it’s one out of two or five bottles or whatever; but you’re never going to be able to taste it. What we’re trying to do at Royal Salute is to create amazing whiskies that you can actually buy and enjoy yourself. So, here we have three very old whiskies with a blend of 40 to 50 amazing different whiskies in each bottle that people can go out and buy today…and tomorrow, you can go out and get another one!
Do you have a personal favourite from the 62 Gun Salute collection?
HG: I like all three, but if there’s one that I would personally pick – not because it’s better, but because to me, it’s a very unique whisky – it’s the American Reserve. It’s aged in American oak, which brings this incredible sweetness and complexity to the liquid.
If you could enjoy a dram of the Royal Salute 62 Gun Salute collection with anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
HG: It would probably be our past Queen because it was made for her, and I think she’d appreciate all the hard work. I’ve had the privilege of presenting her with bottles in the past and she received two bottles of Royal Salute at her coronation in 1953. [Editor’s note: His Grace had personally gone through the records of the Queen’s coronation gifts to verify this himself.] So yeah, I’d like to sit down with the Queen and have a glass of the whisky and say, ‘What do you think of this whisky that was created for you?’
The Royal Salute 62 Gun Salute Original Reserve and The American Oak Reserve is available at the official Pernod Ricard Malaysia Shopee Store at RRP RM16,099 and RRP RM 17,888, respectively. The Peated Reserve is available as a global travel retail exclusive in duty-free airports at RRP RM14,333.
For more information, visit royalsalute.com or follow @royalsalute.
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