BEGINNING WHERE OTHERS END
Royal Salute Master Blender Sandy Hyslop discusses the making of Key to the Kingdom
WHEN IT COMES TO exceptionally aged Scotch whisky, the name on everyone’s mind has always been Royal Salute.
An expression that is synonymous for its connection to British royalty, Royal Salute has consistently retained its reputation as a skilfully crafted, modern expression of remarkable, high-aged Scotch whisky. Its latest addition to the range is Royal Salute 30 Year Old Key to the Kingdom, which has been brought to life by Royal Salute Master Blender Sandy Hyslop.
Since its inception, Royal Salute has always celebrated momentous occasions, having been originally crafted to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. Royal Salute’s 30 Year Old Key to the Kingdom also boasts its own unique relationship to the British Monarchy with its linkage to the celebratory spirit and grandeur of the Ceremony of the Keys.
The ceremony, hosted annually at Scotland’s Holyrood Palace, is where the keys to the City of Edinburgh are presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Inside each bottle of this luxurious new expression is a blend of hand-selected fine whiskies, each aged for a minimum of 30 years, meticulously sourced from across Scotland, Royal Salute’s enchanting home.
According to Hyslop, the new blend captures the celebratory energy and classic refinement of the Ceremony of the Keys. “Each whisky that was selected to create this new expression is of the utmost quality, and from the start of production through to bottling, it was a thorough process that required constant care and attention.”
With the arrival of Royal Salute’s latest expression, Augustman went into a deep dive with the Royal Salute Master Blender, to discover more about the 30 Year Old Key to the Kingdom.
When was the idea of Key to the Kingdom first conceptualised?
Royal Salute has always explored innovation within exceptional aged Scotch whisky, and the source of inspiration behind this new expression is no exception. To release a new expression within the Royal Salute range always takes a number of years, and given the 30 Year Old Key to the Kingdom is a permanent expression, it took even longer.
As you know, we’re drawn on the unique connectivity to British royalty that is at the heart of Royal Salute’s heritage, and the
30 Year Old Key to the Kingdom takes inspiration from the Ceremony of the Keys ‒ the annual royal ceremony where the keys to Edinburgh city are presented to Queen Elizabeth II.
As Master Blender, what was your approach in bringing this whisky to life?
A whisky creation of this rarity and quality needs to be built up from scratch in the blending room. Drawing samples from many different casks, experimenting with different combinations, and building up the blend in miniature on the bench before taking all the whiskies from the warehouses and blending them in earnest.
The balance of cask influence and distillery character is something that is of particular focus for me. At this elevated age, it is imperative to create a whisky where I have the influence of cask maturation complementing the distillate character in perfect harmony.
Why was this year chosen for this new expression?
We have an incredible inventory of aged Scotch whiskies, and together with my team we monitor the casks on a very regular basis. This means that I know when a whisky is ready to be blended. When