
April 6, 2016

The Linkwood family

Linkwood’s a name that we used to see more often ten or fifteen years ago, partly thanks to G&M’s repeated efforts (ah, the pre-war ones!) So time to put things straight, and let’s try to make it ‘cavalcade-y’. How many shall we find? Let’s kick this off with a little apéritif, as usual…

Linkwood 1991/2004 (43%, Jean Boyer, Best Casks of Scotland, 1st fill sherry, cask #1086)

Colour: amber. Nose: the sherry’s a tad rubbery at first nosing, but more walnuts manage to come through, then rather dried dates. There’s quite some toasted bread as well, burnt cake… All that gives it a smoky side. Wood smoke. Mouth: it’s quite fat and big, and rather more on bitter oranges this time. Also flints, touches of rubber again, marmalade, orange zests, chocolate… Finish: quite long, still a bit rubbery, but it’s also got an ‘old Mac’ side. Interesting. Loads of walnuts in the aftertaste. Comments: a good starting point, I’d say, but the rubber/walnut combination makes it a little difficult. SGP:361 - 78 points.

Linkwood 1992/2015 'Afternoon Tea on the Terrace' (46%, Wemyss Malts, hogshead, 305 bottles)

Afternoon Tea on the Terrace? Sounds very British… Colour: straw. Nose: rather fragrant, with some lilac and orange blossom for starters, then various honeys and marmalades. I can see what they were meaning… But that would be earl grey tea! I find the flowery side very ‘Linkwood’ indeed. Mouth: plenty of earl grey indeed, quite some malt, more orange marmalade, and a slight green side. Rather green tea this time? Some caramel too, and once again, a touch of rubber, just like in the Jean Boyer. Finish: medium, on cakes and honeys. The aftertaste has got even more orange marmalade. Comments: tea on the terrace? Have this pretty Linkwood instead! SGP:551 - 84 points.

Linkwood 24 yo 1991/2015 (53.8%, The Single Malts of Scotland, cask # 586497, 268 bottles)

These excellent people already had quite a few good Linkwoods. Colour: dark straw. Nose: same style as that of the Wemyss, with plenty of orange blossom, marmalade, and lilac. Perhaps also touches of varnish, but those should go away once water’s been added. With water: rather more overripe apples this time, tarte tatin, fresh barley… Mouth (neat): same style again. Oranges and honeys with hints of rubber. Natural rubber, of course. Also almonds, perhaps. With water: takes off, with various herbals teas and various citrus fruits. Liquorice, chamomile, citrons, tangerines… Very nice, fresh and youthful. Finish: medium, light, fruity and fresh. Hence more-ish, as they say. Comments: it’s got more fresh herbs than its sibling, hence my higher score. Very good, and everybody should own a bottle of Linkwood. SGP:551 - 86 points.

Linkwood 18 yo 1997/2016 (48%, Distiller's Art, refill hogshead, 148 bottles)

Distiller’s Art is a line by Langside Distillers, which belongs to Hunter Laing since 2013. A matter of portfolios and markets, I suppose. Colour: straw. Nose: same ballpark, once again, even if this one’s a little more on apples, and a little less on flowers and oranges. Maybe is that the younger age? More green malt as well (ditto). Mouth: I find this very good, once again. More oranges this time, green tea, barley, chamomile, all that. And apples. We’re still on that terrace. Finish: medium, maltier. Comments: perhaps a notch less complex than the Wemyss and the TSMOS, which may come from the younger age. But very good it is, no doubt, and no disappointments. SGP:451 - 83 points.

Linkwood 1980/2015 (57.7%, Gordon & MacPhail, Exclusive for La Maison du Whisky, refill hogshead, cask #8250, 179 bottles)

Older age? I couldn’t wait to try this 35yo… Colour: gold. Nose: yes, time worked. It’s not that it’s better polished, or rounder, or smoother, not at all, it’s simply more complex, with more flowers and herbs, for example, and an unexpected medicinal side, as if this was an ex-old-Laphroaig hogshead. Band-aid, eucalyptus, chalk, humus, even mud… It’s all quite subtle, and lovable. With water: stunning earthy notes, hay, farmyard, meadows after a heavy shower, then rather beeswax and pollen… Mouth (neat): amazing! Peat and gentian in Linkwood, how does that sound? The smokiness is much more obvious than before, and there is a weird feeling of hashish as well. With water: more oranges and a floral side – this is well Linkwood – while the hashish disappeared. Was I dreaming? Finish: quite long, more herbal. Eucalyptus syrup, mint, smoked herbs… No, not those. Comments: totally unrecognizable when tasted blind. And totally excellent. I hope it’s legal! SGP:462 - 89 points.

Linkwood 18 yo 1997/2015 (59.5%, Jack Wiebers, Steamship Line, hogshead, cask #7141)

A younger one again… Colour: straw. Nose: it really is the same whisky as the Distiller’s Art, even if the strengths are very different. Or same batch for sure. Green apples and green malt. With water: rather more on cereals, farmyard, damp earth… Mouth (neat): big, fruity, all on oranges, then green tea, with touches of fresh mint and just an ‘idea’ of varnish. There are also these very remote hints of rubber again. With water: oranges and apples, plus touches of barley and honey. A touch of resin as well. Propolis? Finish: long, and certainly waxier. More green tea as well, while oranges are striking back in the aftertaste. Comments: another one that’s honestly good. SGP:451 - 82 points.

Linkwood 1997/2015 (53.1%, Rest & Be Thankful, bourbon, cask #10195, 270 bottles)

These good people haven’t only bottled Octomores! Colour: pale gold. Nose: same yet again, but the cask has been a little more active. There’s more pollen, ‘sweet’ vanilla, chamomile, lime blossom, moss… All that is nice, very nice. With water: honey and fruit salad. Niiiiice. Mouth (neat): perfect, as far as middle-aged Speysiders go. The cask has definitely been more active, as you can feel a little pinesap, perhaps juniper, perhaps ginger… But all that works in sync, and really complements the orange liqueur and apples. Really very good! With water: the oak really comes out, and makes it feel a bit like some Linkwood from Kentucky, but that works a treat. Really. Hints of pineapples. Finish: medium, honeyed, vanilla-ed, rounded, and kind of tropical. No, we won’t mention pina colada again. Comments: excellent, both modern and traditional. There might have been some re-racking done, but that was for the better. SGP:551 - 87 points.

Linkwood 30 yo 1984/2015 (54.4%, Riegger's Selection, Amarone finish, cask #5270, 372 bottles)

An Amarone finish? That’s pure madness! As you probably know, Amarone is made out of dried grapes, a method that’s akin to that of Jura’s vins de paille. They’re very thick, and pretty heavy red wines. Colour: apricot/salmon. Like rosé wine. Nose: phew, little Amarone! I haven’t got anything against Amarone, but many are a little stuffy and cloying, which is not something you’d detect here. Okay, perhaps are the oranges redder, in a way, but that’s all. Barley, malt, ripe apples, oranges, and perhaps whiffs of cherry-flavoured pipe tobacco. I remember there was a brand when I was smoking pipes (30 years ago) called Borkum Riff. With water: nice earthy tones. The wine did not reject water. Mouth: oh this is good! Even very good! I couldn’t tell you what comes from the Valpolicella/Amarone, but what’s sure is that the Linkwood remained bright and vibrant, as they say. Good fruitiness. With water: yes it’s good. Blood oranges, blackcurrant buds, cracked pepper… It’s red wine, after all. Finish: medium, a little leafy. Comments: an Italian finishing that worked. All we need now is a good pizza ;-). SGP:461 - 85 points.

Linkwood-Glenlivet 28 yo 1987/2015 (58.4%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, sherry butts, 1062 bottles)

Gasp, Cadenhead again. Colour: gold. Nose: hold on, this is austere, tight, narrow, and really earthy/leafy, even leathery. Eh? Fino? Manzanilla? With water: perfect pu-her from the best trees on the best mountains. Stunning mossy smokiness. Mouth (neat): a blade, and in that sense, an anti-Speyside. Lime and lemon, green apples, green walnuts, and yeah, manzanilla. Careful now… With water: gentler, mature, fruitier, but certainly not dull. Green apples, cider, walnuts, greengages… Finish: long, sharp, narrow, green, getting zestier by the second. Comments: okay, I’ll give it away. Do you know how Cadenhead’s are managing to have the best single malts these days? Because yeah, they have a secret, which they revealed to me after a few glasses of retsina too many, in a remote pub in Tarbert, on a cold winter night. In fact, they’re adding one bucket of Springbank to each and every cask they bottle, from Auchentoshan to Tullibardine. Serious, that’s how they do it, but shhh… that’s our little secret… SGP:461 - 89 points. PS: £110 a bottle, that’s smart.

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