🥃 Royal Salute 38 Year Old Stone of Destiny
A rare older expression of Royal Salute: a blended Scotch whisky labelled 38 years old and named after the Stone of Destiny; 40% ABV.
Royal Salute 38 Year Old Stone of Destiny is one of the oldest expressions of the Royal Salute brand, a blended Scotch whisky. Pernod Ricard calls it a rare blend named after the Stone of Destiny, the old coronation stone of the Scottish kings. The age on the label is 38 years, and the strength is 40% ABV.
Like the rest of the brand, it is a blend of Scottish whiskies, where the age on the label means the age of the youngest component. A 2010 review by Whisky Advocate notes sherry notes: baked apple in caramel, date, fig, molasses and raisins, followed by tobacco and leather. WhiskyCast describes honey, red apple, raspberry, oak and vanilla, and a long fruity finish.
Why it matters to you. Compare it with Royal Salute 21 Year Old Signature Blend: the difference is mainly in age, so the taste here is deeper, with more pronounced oak and dried fruit. An older age does not make the drink safer. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV |
|---|---|
| Minimum maturation | 38 years (age statement) |
| Raw material | Scottish whiskies in the blend |
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (Blended Scotch Whisky) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Royal Salute 38 Year Old Stone of Destiny → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Royal Salute, 🥃 Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Blended Scotch Whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Royal Salute 21 Year Old Malts Blend, 🥃 Royal Salute 21 Year Old Malts Blend, 🥃 Royal Salute 21 Year Old Signature Blend, 🥃 Royal Salute 21 Year Old Signature Blend
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that the whiskies in Stone of Destiny are at least 38 years old?
Yes, the age on the label is 38 years, and under Scotch rules it means the age of the youngest whisky in the blend.
Why this name?
According to Pernod Ricard, the blend is named after the Stone of Destiny, which is linked to the coronations of Scottish kings.
What is its strength?
40% ABV, according to Pernod Ricard, Whisky Advocate and WhiskyCast.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Scotch from a single distillery: only malted barley, water and copper pot stills; at least 3 years in oak, 40% vol. or more.
- 🥃 Royal Salute 21 Year Old Malts Blend — The first blended malt whisky of Royal Salute (2019): over 21 single malt whiskies from five Scottish regions, each at least 21 years old; 40% ABV.
Similar
🥃 Royal Salute 21 Year Old Signature Blend · 🥃 Royal Salute 21 Year Old Malts Blend · 🥃 Dewar's 12 Year Old · 🥃 Dewar's White Label · 🥃 Dewar's 15 Year Old · 🥃 Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Pernod Ricard: Royal Salute brand page (The Signature Blend 21 YO, 40 % ABV, unchanged since 1953; The Stone of Destiny 38 YO, 40 % ABV; all whiskies at least 21 years)
- Whisky Advocate: Royal Salute Stone of Destiny 38 year old, 40 % (review by John Hansell, Summer 2010)
- WhiskyCast: tasting notes Royal Salute 38 Stone of Destiny (Chivas Brothers; 38 years; 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)