There are whisky purchases, and then there are whisky statements. The Royal Salute Platinum Jubilee / Richmond Brooch (Yellow) sits firmly in the latter category — a blended Scotch bottled at a cask strength 50.8% ABV, carrying a price tag of £14,775 that puts it squarely in the realm of ultra-luxury collectibles. This is Royal Salute operating at the very top of its game, a release designed to commemorate the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, and one of a series inspired by the brooches in the royal collection.
Let's address the elephant in the room. Fifteen grand for a blended Scotch whisky is, by any conventional measure, absurd. But Royal Salute has never played by conventional rules. As Chivas Brothers' prestige blended brand, it has spent decades cultivating a niche where craftsmanship, ceremony, and scarcity intersect. The Richmond Brooch edition — distinguished by its yellow ceramic flagon — is produced in strictly limited numbers, and the packaging alone is a piece of decorative art. You're not just buying liquid here. You're buying provenance, occasion, and a very particular kind of exclusivity.
What makes this more interesting than your average trophy bottle is the strength. At 50.8% ABV, this hasn't been diluted down to an easy-drinking 40%. Royal Salute's master blender has chosen to present this at a muscular proof that suggests serious intent — a blend built with enough backbone and depth to reward slow, contemplative drinking. For a house known for its smooth, rounded style, that higher strength signals a release with genuine textural weight and complexity.
Tasting Notes
I won't fabricate specifics I don't have to hand — official tasting descriptors for this particular edition aren't widely published, and I'd rather be honest than inventive. What I can say is that Royal Salute's house style leans towards rich, honeyed Speyside character layered with older grain whiskies that provide silky texture. At this proof point, expect that signature opulence amplified — more concentrated, more viscous, with the kind of slow-building warmth that rewards patience. A few drops of water will likely open it up considerably.
The Verdict
I'm giving this a 7.7 out of 10. That might seem modest for something north of fourteen thousand pounds, but my scoring reflects the whisky, not the jewellery box it arrives in. As a piece of blending craft at cask strength, this is genuinely impressive — Royal Salute rarely puts a foot wrong at this level, and the decision to bottle at 50.8% gives it a seriousness that some of their standard range can lack. It loses marks simply because, at this price, you're paying primarily for rarity and royal association rather than liquid alone. For collectors and completists, that premium is the point. For drinkers, the whisky itself is very good — just not fifteen-thousand-pounds good on taste alone. That said, if you have the means and the occasion, this is a memorable dram with genuine substance behind the pageantry.
Best Served
Neat, in a proper Glencairn or tulip glass, at room temperature. Add water sparingly — a few drops at a time — to tease apart the layers at that 50.8% strength. This is an after-dinner whisky for a night that matters. Don't rush it, don't mix it, and for the love of all that is holy, don't put it in a highball.
