Quite a batch of Linkwood, part two


May 2, 2024

Quite a batch of Linkwood, part two

Linkwood 2

The new and part of the original Linkwood (geograph)

Because we really had a good number of them... Sadly no pre-WW2 G&M at the moment... By the way, you'll recall that there were two Linkwood distilleries from 1971 to 1985, somewhat similar to what happened at Clynelish/Brora. In any case, the original distillery ceased operations in 1985, so only vintages from before that year could originate from the original Linkwood.

Linkwood 12 yo 2010/2022 (57%, Whiskyschiff Luzern, oloroso, cask #300180, 240 bottles)

The price was 100 Swiss francs. I believe this baby was bottled by Brave New Spirits/Cask Noir. Whiskyschiff Luzern, of Whisky Ship Lucerne, is one of the wee festivals I try not to ever miss, year after year. Colour: amber. Nose: a little old-skool, nutty and with many raisins, cakes, figs, a little ham… All nice, if not mindboggling. With water: fine. Easier dry sherry, walnuts, orange skin, gravel… Mouth (neat): a bit rough, on leaves, ginger, green peppercorns… It's pretty wild, as wild as the Lucerne lake when the wind blows (and the ships are pitching). With water: good, sweeter, but still rather gingery. Ginseng, honey and propolis – all said to cure everything. Finish: long, leafier. Comments: very good little Linkwood, it's just that the yearly festival in Lucerne is even better.
SGP:561 - 82 points.

Since we're in Switzerland… (well we aren't far, actually)… By the way it's good that them Swiss-made whiskies are anything but neutral. But back to Linkwood…

Linkwood 9 yo 2011/2021 (56.9%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Switzerland, 1st fill bourbon barrel, #39.212, Sweet and Sour Candy Shower, 194 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: barley sugar and syrup, pack of small easter eggs, muesli – after all, we're near the Alpes – and sweet vanilla (icing sugar). With water: same. Fresh lemon cake. Mouth (neat): very syrupy, creamy, on green apple liqueur and, well, limoncello. And more barley syrup, plus indeed some tart young riesling from where there's not much sun yet. With water: everything lemon drops, candies, bonbons, creams and liqueurs; plus some green grass. Finish: long, ultra-simple, but good. More green apples in the aftertaste. Comments: perhaps a tad anecdotal, but it sure is a pretty good very young… hold on, what's the name of the distillery again?
SGP:661 - 83 points.

Linkwood 10 yo 2012/2023 (46%, James Eadie, Small Batch #AW23, recharred hogshead, 1,291 bottles)

From three hogsheads, apparently. Yes we have the numbers. Colour: white wine. Nose: aren't they master at this. Creamy banana liqueur, vanilla, barley syrup, apples and citrons, cassata, family-pack of marshmallows. Mouth: perfect. Lemons and apples, barley, very soft mentholy oak, cream eggs, Haribo bears, babies and crocodiles, focaccia bread. Finish: amaretti chiming in, limoncello (what else) in the aftertaste. Comments: no comments. This is boringly well constructed and, given the price, just irresistible. I do not want to sound like a Tiktoker, but this is better that hundreds of whiskies that they sell for times this price. £37.50, just saying.
SGP:651 - 85 points.

Linkwood 10 yo 2013/2023 (51.1%, Dalgety, oloroso finish)

Colour: light gold. Nose: the finishing seems to have worked out, as we're finding a large pecan pie and around 1,547,458 tons of butterscotch. Which we just love, who doesn't. With water: cheesecake, carrot cake, caramel sauce, fudge, and maple syrup. Who would be against this. Mouth (neat): shortbread, Cointreau, soft liquorice and some saltier one (salmiak), all that with perfect strength, mouthfeel and backbone. With water: the finishing feels a little more, there's more leafiness, touch of leather, cherry stem tea… But there are also figs coming to the rescue. Finish: medium, a tad leathery when watered down. Better save water. Comments: indeed, no need to add any waterz at 51.1%. Please abstain from reducing it, in other words don't do what I did. Mea Culpa.
SGP:461 - 84 points.

Linkwood 10 yo (56.8%, Dràm Mor, 1st fill bourbon finish, cask # 303762, 243 bottles, 2023)

Could we not have some knackered wood finish, as they do in Cognac? I mean first active wood, and then proper aging in, well, maturing vessels rather than flavouring ones? Colour: gold. Nose: of course this works. Banana bread, croissants, raisin rolls, vanilla fudge, shortbread… With water: some paraffin, some engine oil, some brake fluid… I was not expecting this. Now the cakes are soon to strike back, with more croissants. A we or are we not French? Mouth (neat): pretty good, despite a bitterish piney touch that should go away as soon as we add water. And why wait… With water: back to barley (B2B). Finish: nice maltiness. Comments: maybe not totally earthshattering, but good drop for sure.
SGP:551 - 83 points.

We might be losing steam, but the heart remains willing…

Linkwood 10 yo 2011/2022 (52.2%, The Whisky Exchange '50th Anniversary', refill hogshead + bourbon barrel, 870 bottles)

I had thought folks would celebrate their 50 years with some 50 years-old spirits, no? That's certainly what a did myself, my friends would have killed me, should I have poured them some young stuff from some slightly mundane distilleries… Having said that, I've seen that Angus liked this one rather a lot. Colour: white wine. Nose: sucrose, light honey, honeysuckle, white clover, blancmange. Very gentle. With water: cold earl grey tea. Mouth (neat): seriously good, if pretty 'usual'. It's true that there might be millions of such casks resting over Hadrian's Wall. Well, there are. Lemon zests, green apples, IPA. With water: good, easy, malty with apples at the helm. Finish: same. Comments: did I ever tell you the joke about this Chef who always cooks with whisky?
SGP:551 - 84 points.

In the own words of Mr Iggy Pop, I'm a little bored, but we shall go on because this is our duty.

Linkwood 9 yo 2012/2022 (47%, Signatory Vintage for Whic, Spirit of the Forest, dechar/rechar hogshead, cask #315423; 383 bottles)

Dechar/rechar, OMG! The bottle is lovely. Colour: pale gold. Nose: banana skins, fudge, croissants, grist, a few ashes. Mouth: seriously, it's very good. I'd love to learn about what's been lying in the hoggie before it got decharred/recharred. Ardbeg? In any case it is a great mutant Linkwood, malt whisky for X-Men, lemony and smoky. Finish: long, creamy, lemony and kind of peaty. Comments: more in-cask blending that worked a treat, much to our despair. IA malt.
SGP:653 - 86 points.

Linkwood 11 yo 2010/2021 (56%, Hong Kong Whisky, Art Series, refill sherry butt)

They're all more or less 10 years old, because you know what whisky salesmen used to say, 'no ten, no deal'. Unless your name starts with an 'M', or an 'A' if you're on charming Islay. Colour: gold. Nose: soft sherry, vanilla, shortbread, ripe banana, vanilla cake, vanilla cream; nougat… With water: some beeswax, but it's become shier, globally. Some pine resin. Mouth (neat): but very good, powerful, a little leafy and tea-ish. Quite some ginger. I think water is really needed on the palate. With water: right, but it's one of those excellent fillers. In other words, there's plenty. Finish: medium. Grist and popcorn. Comments: good drop for sure.
SGP:551 - 84 points.

Linkwood 2010/2022 (48.9%, The Firkin Whisky Co., bourbon, virgin French oak & Madeira, cask #SC28)

What is this sorcery? Colour: gold. Nose: very nice, no denying, some Danish pastries, vanilla cream, Golden Grahams, light meadow honey (early season), Canadian ice wine, frozen apples indeed… This is all nice and pleasant and civilized and consensual (I suppose). Seriously, very nice nose, rather honeyed. Mouth: very good, malty, fresh (bags of apples) and then pleasantly herbal. Some teas, verbena, rooibos, earl grey, all that with a good dollop of honey inside and around. Finish: rather long, with some curaçao, young calvados, more honey, more orange liqueur… Only the aftertaste is a little sourer. Comments: these sessions are tough because the base distillate is not very characterful. But why am I telling you this?
SGP:651 - 86 points.

We have room for one more, but no more then. I think we're going to give up whisky and get into horticulture, at least then we'll be certain to find the roses that Michael Jackson was so fond of. On that note, and since Linkwood has been replicated since, I'm not even sure that the Linkwood MJ was enjoying came from the same stills as the delightful drams we're tasting together these days. Come on, one last one, while tipping our hats to Michael Jackson…

Linkwood 14 yo 2008/2022 (53.7%, Alistair Walker, Infrequent Flyers for HNWS, PX sherry hogshead, cask #804811, 336 bottles)Linkwood 14 yo 2008/2022 (53.7%, Alistair Walker, Infrequent Flyers for HNWS, PX sherry hogshead, cask #804811, 336 bottles)

Linkwood 14 yo 2008/2022 (53.7%, Alistair Walker, Infrequent Flyers for HNWS, PX sherry hogshead, cask #804811, 336 bottles)

So looks like we're in Taiwan again. Colour: full copper amber. Nose: oh, ripe mirabelle plums and quince jelly, is this even beatable? And all these golden juicy sultanas, these whiffs of beeswax, of chestnut honey… We're certainly reminded of a distillery in Dufftown that starts with a B. I mean, its name. With water: ripe plums, ripe plums, ripe plums. A tiny metallic touch too (old coins, old copper wire and stuff). Mouth (neat): rather a lot of candied fruits, dates, pears, figs, also spices, curry, cinnamon, nutmeg… It's not that it is very strong, but it feels pretty strong. Or is it me who's feeling weak? With water: awesome at first, even if some bitterish, drying herbs were awakened too. Peppered chartreuse, not too sure after all. Finish: long and similar. Rather herbaceous, bitter aftertaste. Comments: good, even very good, but once again reduction has gotten tricky.
SGP:561 - 85 points.

Right, that's it then, we're going to retreat to a monastery where all they'll serve us is fresh water from the nearby spring. The ultimate dream (as I write these lines). And they have heavenly WiFi.

Check the index of all Linkwood we've tasted so far