Royal Salute miniature bottles: the collector’s guide

Collected and photographed by Omer, Mini Bottles World. Collecting miniatures since 2009. Updated 2026-10-12.

This guide covers the Royal Salute miniatures, mainly the 21 Year Old range with a few older releases and sets: the classic coloured flagons, every Polo Collection edition in order with its year and colour, the fashion editions with Richard Quinn and Harris Reed, a few rare releases, and what to check before you add one to your shelf. The bottle cards and the shelf photos show my own collection; the one bottle I am still looking for, the 2017 Polo Edition, is shown as a marked illustration, and a short reference gallery near the end collects a few pictures from the web that are not mine.

Royal Salute miniatures are collected as objects in their own right. Each 5 cl bottle is a small porcelain flagon in the shape of the full-size decanter, with a stopper and, in most cases, a velvet pouch or a presentation box. A row of them shows the colours and the history of the brand in the space of a hand.

Where the flagons come from

Chivas Brothers created Royal Salute in 1953 as a tribute for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The name comes from the 21-gun salute fired on royal occasions, which is why every whisky in the core range is at least 21 years old. The first flagon was green, in a velvet pouch; the blue flagon followed in 1960 and quickly became the most popular; by 1984 the range came in four colours, blue, green, red and brown. In 2003 the colours were renamed Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby after the gems of the crown jewels. Collectors generally credit the English pottery Wade with making the porcelain flagons for decades.

Royal Salute 21 Year Old The Signature Blend (SC-117)

The classic flagons, and the brown one

The 21 Year Old miniature comes in the same colours as the big flagon. Most collectors start with a set of three, sapphire blue, ruby red and emerald green, usually presented together in one box. Within the colour sets, the condition of the gold print and of the stopper is what separates a good example from an average one.

The brown flagon is the one collectors ask me about most. It is seen far less often than the three gemstone colours, and when one turns up with its pouch, keep them together.

The Polo Collection, edition by edition

Royal Salute has supported polo for decades, and since 2017 the Polo Collection has added a limited edition named after a polo destination, each in its own colour. Not every year had a release, so the dates matter when you compare bottles. All seven editions to date are listed below in order, with the miniature in my collection next to each.

Two things worth knowing. The Snow Polo Edition (2019) is the odd one out: it is a blended grain whisky and the miniature is bottled at 46.5% ABV, where the other editions are 40%. The Jodhpur Polo Edition (2023) is a blended malt, as Master Blender Sandy Hyslop describes it, honouring the Indian city where modern polo was born.

Year	Edition	Flagon colour	In the collection
2017	The Polo Edition	Dark turquoise	Not in my collection
2018	The Beach Polo Edition	Light blue	SC-105 · Royal Salute 21 Year Old The Beach Polo Edition
2019	The Snow Polo Edition (blended grain, 46.5%)	White	SC-102 · Royal Salute 21 Year Old The Snow Polo Edition
2021	The Polo Estancia Edition	Red	SC-103 · Royal Salute 21 Year Old The Polo Estancia Edition
2023	The Jodhpur Polo Edition (blended malt)	Yellow	SC-111 · Royal Salute 21 Year Old The Jodhpur Polo Edition
2024	The Miami Polo Edition	Pink	SC-112 · Royal Salute 21 Year Old The Miami Polo Edition
2025	The Rio de Janeiro Polo Edition	Green	SC-113 · Royal Salute 21 Year Old The Rio de Janeiro Polo Edition

Editions checked as of October 2026.

The Polo Edition (2017) (Not in my collection · AI illustration based on a reference photo)
Royal Salute 21 Year Old The Beach Polo Edition (SC-105)
Royal Salute 21 Year Old The Snow Polo Edition (SC-102)
Royal Salute 21 Year Old The Polo Estancia Edition (SC-103)
Royal Salute 21 Year Old The Jodhpur Polo Edition (SC-111)
Royal Salute 21 Year Old The Miami Polo Edition (SC-112)
Royal Salute 21 Year Old The Rio de Janeiro Polo Edition (SC-113)

The Fashion Collection: Richard Quinn and Harris Reed

The most colourful corner of the range. In 2021 Royal Salute launched its first couture collaboration with the British designer Richard Quinn: the White Roses and Black Roses editions, each a 21 Year Old blend in a flagon printed with his floral patterns. The Richard Quinn Edition II followed in 2023 with the Floral, Rose and Daisy flagons, created with Master Blender Sandy Hyslop.

In September 2024, during London Fashion Week, the British-American designer Harris Reed added his edition in gold and blue flagons; a second Harris Reed edition arrived at the end of 2025. In my experience the fashion editions appeal to collectors who never drink whisky at all, so they are the ones I see disappear first, and finding one complete with its box takes patience.

Rare and discontinued editions

A few bottles sit above the rest. The Hundred Cask Selection was a discontinued blend created from 100 hand-selected casks, including whiskies matured for up to 40 years, and its miniature flagon does not appear often. Even less common is the Hundred Cask Selection Maturation Sample Set, a presentation case that follows one Speyside malt through New Spirit, 25, 30 and 40 Year Old samples to the finished blend.

The 25 Year Old, known as The Treasured Blend, is the only miniature here above 21 years. The Lost Blend includes whiskies from Scottish distilleries that no longer operate, and The Malts Blend was the first blended malt in Royal Salute’s history, made from over 21 single malts.

What to check before you add one

Size and weight. Royal Salute miniatures are 5 cl. The ceramic flagon is heavier than a glass miniature, so a flagon that feels light in the hand is a warning sign.

The flagon. Look for chips on the rim and at the base, and for wear on the gold or white lettering. Porcelain hides nothing in daylight, so ask for photos taken by a window rather than with a flash.

Stopper and seal. The stopper should sit tight and the seal should be unbroken. A loose stopper raises the risk of evaporation, and a low fill is the condition problem collectors mind most.

Pouch and box. The velvet pouch and the box add real value, especially on the limited editions, where the packaging carries the design.

Liquid level. Porcelain is opaque, so you cannot see the level. Compare the weight with a full one if you can, or ask the seller to do it for you.

Inside my Royal Salute miniature collection

Beyond the single-bottle photographs, here is how the Royal Salute miniatures look together on my shelves: editions displayed side by side, some with their boxes and full-size counterparts. I have been collecting miniature bottles since 2009, and these are some of my favourite pieces.

Fifteen yellow Royal Salute Jodhpur Polo Edition miniatures on three acrylic shelves — Jodhpur Polo Edition miniatures, three rows of the yellow flagon.

White Royal Salute Snow Polo Edition miniatures in rows on acrylic shelves — Snow Polo Edition miniatures, the white blended grain at 46.5%.

Glass cabinet with rows of navy Royal Salute 25 Year Old miniatures and red Polo Estancia miniatures — 25 Year Old The Treasured Blend miniatures, with Polo Estancia reds on the lower shelves.

Richard Quinn White Roses and Black Roses miniatures in front of the full-size editions in their boxes — Richard Quinn White Roses and Black Roses miniatures in front of the full-size flagons.

Cabinet with rows of Richard Quinn White Roses and Black Roses Royal Salute miniatures — The first Richard Quinn edition in both versions: White Roses above, Black Roses below.

Seen elsewhere: miniature sets and boxes

A few pictures from around the web that help put the miniatures in context: the two blue Polo miniatures side by side, the colour range in one row, and the Richard Quinn miniature boxes. These are not my photos and not my bottles.

Royal Salute Polo Edition (dark turquoise) and Beach Polo Edition (light blue) miniatures side by side — The 2018 Beach Polo (light blue) next to the 2017 Polo Edition (dark turquoise). (photo from the web)

Row of Royal Salute miniature flagons in green, brown, red, light blue, dark blue, white and black — The miniatures in one row: Emerald, brown, Ruby, Beach Polo, 25 Year Old, Snow Polo and the fashion editions. (photo from the web)

Royal Salute Richard Quinn launch set with miniatures, candles and glasses — A Richard Quinn launch set: miniatures, glasses and candles. (photo from the web)

Royal Salute Richard Quinn Edition II Rose miniature in a pop-up box with paper roses — Richard Quinn Edition II, the Rose miniature in its pop-up box. (photo from the web)

Royal Salute Richard Quinn Edition II Floral miniature in a white pop-up box with paper flowers — Richard Quinn Edition II, the Floral miniature in its pop-up box. (photo from the web)

Royal Salute Richard Quinn Edition II Daisy miniature in a green pop-up box with paper daisies — Richard Quinn Edition II, the Daisy miniature in its pop-up box. (photo from the web)

All the Royal Salute miniatures in my collection are listed in the Scotch category, each with its own reference number and detailed photos. If a bottle is not marked sold, message me on WhatsApp with its reference and I will send the details and the shipping options.

Message me on WhatsApp · Browse all Royal Salute miniatures

Questions collectors ask

How big is a Royal Salute miniature?

5 cl (50 ml), in a porcelain flagon that mirrors the full-size decanter. Most are bottled at 40% ABV; the Snow Polo Edition miniature is 46.5%.

Which Royal Salute miniature is the hardest to find?

In my experience since 2009: among the standard colours, the brown flagon. Among the special editions, the Hundred Cask Selection and its Maturation Sample Set, followed by the early Polo editions (2017 and 2018) and the fashion editions, which were limited releases. There are no public production figures, so this is a collector’s view, not a ranking.

Are the blue, red and green flagons different whiskies?

No. All three hold the 21 Year Old Signature Blend; the colour is about the flagon, not the whisky. The limited editions (Polo, Fashion, Lost Blend, Malts Blend, 25 Year Old) are different blends.

Do the miniatures come with a box?

The colour sets usually come as a presentation box of three, and single flagons often came in a velvet pouch. Limited editions had individual boxes. Keep the packaging: it is part of the value.