Speyside region – 46%ABV – 750ml – $76
I am very new to Linkwood. Many out there (especially Americans) simply have not even heard of Linkwood. Most of their whiskies are used in Johnnie Walker (among other blends). However, there are many indy bottlings out there (this being one of them) as well as some distillery bottlings.
So far I’ve had this and a Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling. The SMWS bottling is mind blowing – I’ll be posting on that shortly. This one is very nice.
On the nose – Huh… notes of imitation pine needle spray (like an artificial Christmas wreath).
Light toffee notes. Lemons and creamsicles.
Fresh cut wood. Better yet, damp plywood.
Perfumed like a “Puerto Rican Shower” (not trying to offend anyone of Latino heritage, it’s a ridiculous term indeed. Ridiculous, imaginative, horrible but quite descriptive).
On the mouth – Extremely light mouthfeel.
Lemon caramel (caramel in flavor, not feel – again, this is a thinner one).
Slightly nutty.
A touch winey – think tannins with a small amount of fruit. Actually, I’m reminded of a dry summery rosé here.
Wow, in the last sip bigger sherry notes came out. Nice.
Finish – Oh, it’s all about the finish here.
Great caramel notes.
Baked potato with sour cream and scallions (is this juice from one of those Wonka sticks of gum)?
Short with feel, long in flavor.
In sum – Light and pleasant. An easy drinker if you just want to relax or, if you want to concentrate on it a bit, you can find that there is a fair amount of complexity here. A nice summer dram.