Royal Lochnagar receives Royal Warrant

Diageo-owned Royal Lochnagar Distillery has been awarded a Royal Warrant and will display a hand-painted cask to mark the occasion.

A Royal Warrant is given to a company as recognition of a regular supply of goods to the Royal Household. With the new honour, Royal Lochnagar is permitted to display the monarch symbol of the Royal Arms on its bottles at its distillery in Scotland, which is a mile from the Queen’s Balmoral Estate.

Ewan Andrew, director of the Lochnagar Distillery, said: “Being granted a Royal Warrant is a great privilege for everyone associated with Royal Lochnagar.

“The distillery has a long association with the royal family and it is a source of great pride that we have become Scotch whisky distillers by appointment to Her Majesty The Queen.”

The first cask that is filled at Lochnagar’s distillery, following the awarding of the Royal Warrant, will be publicly displayed. It has been hand-painted by Thomas Oates, who is the son of a Buckingham Palace senior carriage restorer.

The distillery, which was founded in 1845, uses manual methods of distilling single malt whisky to provide a ‘rich, delicately balanced character’.

Sean Phillips, Royal Lochnagar distillery manager, said: “This is a very special day for all the team. Not only to be granted the Royal Warrant, but also to have the Scottish Royal Arms painted so beautifully on one of our casks by Thomas Oates, is an honour and privilege.”

This is the fifth Royal Warrant granted to a brand owned by Diageo, which includes Scotch whisky brand Johnnie Walker and The Pimm’s Company.

A bottle of Royal Lochnagar 16 Years Old was included in Diageo’s Special Releases 2021: Legends Untold single malt collection, launched last year.