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Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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January 3, 2025 |
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A few wee Linkwood
Linkwood is a versatile malt that loves sherry but is also capable of embracing the most unusual woods and wines. Rest assured, however, today we won’t be dealing with any mizunara. Wouldn't mizunara be the vocoder of spirits?
Oh, and would you believe it—there's barley malt extract in Mars bars! |
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Linkwood-Glenlivet 10 yo 2013/2024 (46%, Cadenhead, Original Collection, oloroso sherry casks) 
Colour: amber. Nose: lovely caramel, praline, toffee and raisin rolls. Chocolate and Mars bars that might only need a quick deep-fry. Well, you get the idea. Lovely nose, lovely sherry, easy-going and uncomplicated. Mouth: classic Jaffa cakes, caramel-filled chocolate (yes, Mars bar again), Nescafé and Ovaltine. The 46% works very well. Finish: good length, caramel and coffee, then roasted peanuts. Maple syrup and marmalade lingering in the aftertaste. Comments: fairly simple but very good, very well made, somewhat old-fashioned. We all know Linkwood has loved sherry since time immemorial.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |

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Linkwood 15 yo 2008/2023 (45%, Samaroli, refill bourbon hogshead, cask #306029, 384 bottles) 
Colour: pale gold. Nose: hey, nice! This is no longer the Samaroli of old (the brand was sold quite a few years ago) but this is a very lovely nose, with tarte Tatin, pistachio halva and panettone. To be honest, it feels much more like refill sherry than refill bourbon, but let’s not split hairs—it’s a lovely nose indeed. Fresh raisin rolls. Mouth: yes, very good, in the style of Cadenhead, just a little fresher and more focused on orchard fruits. Of course, that depends on the trees in your orchard. Caramel and honey-coated apples, plus a few green spices, especially pepper. Finish: fairly long, with toffee, ginger and lemon zest. Some woody spices in the aftertaste, ginseng, turmeric… Comments: really very good.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |

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Linkwood 12 yo 2012/2024 (48%, Signatory Vintage for LMDW Artist Collective 7.0, first fill bourbon barrel, 1776 bottles) 
A vatting of six casks. One doesn’t expect this to go wrong. Colour: white wine. Nose: wow, here come the fresh fruits in full freedom, from mango to apple, passing through fresh croissants and banana cream. Jellybeans and babies. Hard to resist all this—as they say, any resistance is futile. Mouth: just give in, this is fresh fruit on fresh herbs with a touch of clay and chalk. A champagne-like character, really. Finish: fairly long, with yellow citrus fruits taking charge. Citron and pomelos. Comments: it’s fresh, it’s excellent, it goes down effortlessly.
SGP:651 - 86 points. |

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Linkwood 15 yo 2022/2024 (54.3%, Single Malt Dreams, for Bergen Whisky Social Club, 1st fill oloroso octave finish, 65 bottles) 
There’s no real difference between Bergen in Norway and Havana in Cuba, since both have their Social Clubs, you see. That said, the last time I was at the one in Havana, they weren’t serving Linkwood—unless someone had invented a Linkwood Daiquiri. And why not! Colour: deep gold. Nose: a typical well-toasted octave, with caramel and turrón, then slightly mentholated tobacco. A few wafts of geranium, bay leaves, and then leather. With water: it becomes increasingly meaty. Mole sauce, Maggi, biltong, teriyaki, brown sauce… Mouth (neat): it works. Plenty of thyme and coffee, lovage, glutamate, chewing tobacco, liquorice wood, mustard… Quite a concoction—we wouldn’t call it ‘typical’. With water: we’re venturing into rather unfamiliar territories as far as Scotch goes. Heavy pinewood, tobacco, juniper, …? … ? … ? Finish: long, fatty, bitter and chocolatey, resinous… Lingering notes of bitter oranges and walnut wine. Comments: after the palate I really don’t know how to score this kind of highly unusual but very amusing creation. Let’s just think about it—those octaves!
SGP:371 - (pending) points. |
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