Royal Lochnagar Single Malt Whisky

Royal Lochnagar Distillery is the smallest among Diageo's 28 single malt whisky distilleries, yet it holds a distinctive position as the group's dedicated malt whisky training center where employees attend comprehensive five-day courses to deepen their understanding of whisky production. Nestled in an idyllic location south of Royal Deeside and Lochnagar Mountain, with Balmoral Castle—the British Royal Family's summer residence—situated nearby to the north, the distillery enjoys a uniquely prestigious setting. The production facility features a traditional 5.4-ton open-top stainless steel mash tun and two wooden washbacks (a third was decommissioned and removed). Fermentation times vary between a shorter 70-hour cycle and an extended 110-hour period for enhanced flavor development. The distillery operates with two notably small stills: a wash still with a capacity of 6,100 liters and a spirit still holding 4,000 liters, the latter utilizing a traditional worm tub condenser for spirit vapor condensation. With limited on-site maturation capacity of just 1,000 casks, the majority of Royal Lochnagar's new make spirit is transported to Glenlossie Distillery for aging. In 2019, the distillery maintained a production schedule of four mashes weekly, yielding 450,000 liters of new make spirit annually. Royal Lochnagar serves as the cornerstone malt for Windsor, Korea's best-selling Scotch blended whisky since 2006. Launched in 1996, Windsor reached its zenith in 2014 with sales of 8.4 million bottles. Following subsequent economic slowdown in Korea, the brand introduced the W Series—comprising W Ice, W Signature 12 Year Old, and W Signature 17 Year Old—featuring a lower 35% ABV to maintain market presence. The distillery's official single malt portfolio includes the core Royal Lochnagar 12 Year Old and the premium Selected Reserve, crafted from whiskies aged 18-20 years. In autumn 2015, Royal Lochnagar released its oldest official bottling to date: a 36-year-old single cask expression. February 2019 saw the distillery featured in Diageo's Game of Thrones Single Malt Scotch Whisky Collection, with a Royal Lochnagar 12 Year Old representing House Baratheon.