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| Hello, that is one among our (virtually) each day tastings. Santé! |
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April 12, 2022
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| They’d tended to pile up and it’s with a lot pleasure and want (do not exaggerate) that we’ll sort out just a few, beginning with some lighter apéritifs. Michael Jackson had written that one would discover roses in Linkwood and I have been attempting to detect these ever since. Expensive Michael Jackson… |
Pistachio syrup ->
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Linkwood 12 yo (43%, OB, Flora & Fauna, +/-2021) 
I’ve by no means fairly adopted what Diageo have been doing with this outdated collection, typically you’ll imagine that they are all gone, when a brand new batch would simply come out of nowhere. Properly, not fairly nowhere, however there, in any case, they appear to maintain doing the Linkwood… Color: white wine. Nostril: swans on the label, however I am positive this may not be a swansong (not begin, S.) Michael Jackson was proper, it is definitely fairly floral, mild, delicately perfumy, with whiffs of contemporary dandelions early within the morning (earlier than the bees would come and plunder all of it) and acacia honey, bananas, contemporary sponge cake, touches of marshmallows… Mouth: yess, roses! As in gewurztraminer! Additionally litchis, vanilla, comfortable candy beers (I preserve mentioning IPAs), madeleines… End: medium, with somewhat tea and sawdust. Bubblegum within the aftertaste. Feedback: extraordinarily high-quality, with moderately a Lowlands model, maybe. I suppose we might ask for a model at 46%, or why not a kind of older CSs?
SGP:641 – 84 factors. |
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46% vol.? Simply ask the indies…
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Linkwood 12 yo 2008/2020 (46%, Signatory Classic, Un-Chillfiltered Assortment, hogsheads, casks #803617-18)
Color: white wine. Nostril: good one, that is virtually precisely the F&F. Maybe somewhat extra plums, and little much less flowers. Maybe… Mouth: as soon as once more, the F&F, this time with just a few extra earthy touches, and certainly rather less gewurz. I am afraid the additional 3% don’t change a lot on this one. Bah, each are excellent drops in any instances. End: medium, fruity, this time once more with somewhat tea and sawdust, and bubblegum within the aftertaste. Feedback: all straightforward pleasures from an excellent eau-de-vie de barley aged in oak. Hear: possibly Donovan?
SGP:541 – 84 factors. |
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In the identical vein, I might suppose…
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Linkwood 12 yo 2008/2020 (46%, DS Tayman, Second Version, Israeli pink wine end, 384 bottles) 
I do know I all the time say that pink wine is without doubt one of the worst choices so far as maturing or ending malt whisky are involved, however that is largely true with full-bodied malts, particularly peaters or waxy ones. Which might counsel that lighter malts, equivalent to Linkwood, might welcome pink and black berries certainly, let’s have a look at, whereas preserving an open thoughts… Color: blush. Nostril: bingo. Strawberry cake, what we name a ‘fraisier’, pink bananas, pomegranate jelly, cheesecake, grenadine and poppy jelly, all that on brioche… This works, to this point. Mouth: success, regardless of just a few inexperienced spices from the oak. Goji berries, strawberry cake, bananas, and even notes of rosé wine, actually, you’ll imagine you are in Provence. I am going to attempt to deliver what stays right down to 12% vol. and serve it chilled to my mates this summer time, I am going to see what they are saying… End: medium ans nonetheless clash-less, moderately miraculously. Feedback: if there was one malt that might have been prepared for such a remedy, that is Linkwood. Well executed. Sure, that is S. on the MacBook.
SGP:641 – 85 factors. |
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Linkwood 8 yo 2012/2021 (43%, Signatory Classic, Un-Chillfiltered Assortment, Very Cloudy, for Navigate World Whisky, South Africa, bourbon barrels, 634 bottles)
Bear in mind they should bottle these at 43% vol. (or much less), or they simply wouldn’t flip ‘very cloudy’. Color: white wine. Nostril: all malt, brioche, Chablis, whiffs of flints, crushed bananas, pears and the tiniest touches of spearmint. Mild and immaculate on the nostril. Mouth: surprisingly smoky, as if one of many barrels was an ex-peater, with a medicinal facet, then pears and bananas, extra brioche, natural tea, pink grapefruits and a contact of heather honey. End: medium, curiously coastal. Feedback: extra Ardmore than Linkwood, so far as Speyside is worried. It is glorious, just a bit troubling (ha).
SGP:642 – 84 factors. |
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Linkwood 10 yo (46%, James Eadie, 1st fill bourbon and refill Hogsheads, casks #308678 & 304607, 651 bottles, 2019)
Color: white wine. Nostril: that is Linkwood completely al pure once more, on comfortable maize bread, acacia honey, dandelions, bananas, cereals, marshmallows, vanilla, and only a tiny rubbery facet at the back of the again. Moisturizer and evening cream (is it nonetheless allowed to make use of these descriptors?) Mouth: excellent, creamier this time (the barrels had been extra energetic), on candy beers, hops, bananas, apples, peaches, truffles, oranges, then a grassier facet. Skins and peel. Extra earth within the background, which could be very good. End: moderately lengthy, somewhat bitterer, with inexperienced oak spices, inexperienced pepper, maybe somewhat greener tobacco… Feedback: excellent, properly within the model of James Eadie’s barely creamier and fatter malt whiskies. Trendy model, as we typically say.
SGP:551 – 85 factors. |
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Let’s crank up the voltage…
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Linkwood 10 yo 2011/2021 (55.7%, Thompson Bros. for Choose Spirits Australia, dechar/rechar hogshead)
I am undecided that is the best label however I am positive it is not a lame duck anyway. Color: white wine. Nostril: pears, porridge and chardonnay. All proper. With water: white asparagus, grist, chalk, inexperienced bananas and extra porridge. Mouth (neat): prickly pears, correct pears, fruit peel, chalk, candy beer and extra Chablis. With water: gummi bears, williams pear liqueur, lime tea, brioche. End: lengthy, grassier. Feedback: common malt whisky, in the perfect sense of the phrase ‘common’. Nice filler.
SGP:551 – 85 factors. |
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Linkwood 11 yo 2010/2021 (60.9%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #39.222, first fill bourbon barrel, ‘Delicate Latticework’, 224 bottles)
By no means heard of the phrase ‘latticework’ earlier than, however then once more, I am no native English speaker. I had first learn ‘lettucework’, to be trustworthy, which was somewhat scary. Color: mild gold. Nostril: banana, varnish, contemporary almonds, putty, sauna oils. With water: again to dough, vanilla, and simply crushed barley. Mouth (neat): fantastic fruity creaminess. A record-sized bag of jelly infants by Haribo, all yellow. As common, flavours usually are not actually recognisable. With water: Danish cake, apricot and mirabelle jams, extra candy barley, and drops of gueuze. End: medium, grassier as common, extra on apples in the direction of the aftertaste. Feedback: glorious, however I am beginning to marvel if we’ll ever get out of the 84-86 bracket.
SGP:551 – 85 factors. |
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Linkwood 12 yo 2009/2021 (53.5% Fable Whisky, Outdated Folks Chapter #2, hogshead, cask #548160, 203 bottles)
Color: white wine. Nostril: after all that is related. Bananas, brioche, bubblegum, sunflower oil, hints of beech smoke, granny smith, croissants… With water: hey viognier! Pink bananas, a wee muscaty facet, dried litchis, rosehip tea, briefly, viognier certainly. Mouth (neat): candy, fruity, this time somewhat extra tropical, with mangos and papayas. That is cool! With water: growth, extra sweetness, plus eucalyptus. Lime tea, elderflowers, bananas, tinned litchis, and even drops of Tokaji. Oh, and rose jelly, Michael Jackson was proper. End: medium, very fruity, bordering liqueurdom. Feedback: that is virtually bottled fruit paste. I am pondering quince, my favorite.
SGP:641 – 86 factors. |
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Maintain on, we have got the sister bottle too…
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Linkwood 12 yo 2008/2021 (54.8% Fable Whisky, The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay, Chapter #1, hogshead, cask #300860, 269 bottles)
I am going to say it once more, what an amazing work with the labels! The designer is named Hugo L Coellar – properly, kudos, Hugo! Color: white wine. Nostril: extra on oils, sunflower, maybe sesame, additionally nougat, popcorn, vanilla, candy maize, contemporary brioche and croissants, latte… With water: identical, very nougaty. All-flower honey. Bear in mind, bees are our mates, let’s save the bees! Mouth (neat): candy, maybe even a notch syrupy. Barley syrup, limoncello, these kinds of issues. Honeysuckle and Turkish delights. Nice work with the cask. With water: very candy, maybe even a tad too candy. Candy pinot gris as a substitute of Tokaji, this time, which implies extra quince jelly. End: moderately lengthy, with extra teas after which fairly some apple compote. Close to quinces. Feedback: one other lovely candy drop. Solely hits and no misses this far.
SGP:651 – 85 factors. |
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Linkwood 12 yo 2009/2021 (57.6%, The Whiskyfind for Whisky Picnic bar, Taiwan, bourbon barrel, cask #559329, 223 bottles)
I’ve a sense… Color: white wine. Nostril: ah, no, no fruit bomb this time, moderately subtler floral tones, almonds, even olives (properly, one tiny olive), putty, contemporary croissant, doughs, pistachio cream… I am even discovering focaccia and amaretti, this one’s positively somewhat Italian. With water: olive oil, washing powder, vase water and mint tea. Cassis buds too. Mouth (neat): panettone! And tighter honeys, honeydew, marzipan… Glorious, who’s behind this bottling? With water: tremendous good, targeted, barely resinous, with one drop of myrtle liqueur and two drops of eucalyptus tea. End: lengthy somewhat oilier. Did you ever strive pistachio syrup? Fairly grapefruits ans some earthiness within the aftertaste. Feedback: earth and citrus will save the whisky world.
SGP:561 – 87 factors. |
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Maybe a final one, however we’ll have extra Linkwoods tomorrow and attempt to go down the vintages, vertically…
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Linkwood-Glenlivet 11 yo 2006/2018 (59.3%, Cadenhead, Genuine Assortment, bourbon hogshead, 294 bottles)
Color: white wine. Nostril: pure barley, bread, biscuits, tree bark, banana skins, pancakes and chalk. With water: extraordinarily doughy, virtually acetic, fermentary, with plenty of sourdough and porridge. We’re virtually nosing a really contemporary baguette. The place’s the butter? Mouth (neat): scorching, somewhat vinegary, with a contact of piney varnish, bone-dry cider and only a feeling of UHU glue. UHU, queen of all glues. With water: ah, sweeter, extra citrusy, simpler, on these yellow jelly infants by Haribo, then tighter notes of chenin blanc, white pepper (moderately plenty of that) and contemporary rhubarb. It’s getting fairly acidic, even when watered down, and is nearly sending shivers down your backbone. End: medium, tight, grassier, somewhat austere. Feedback: excellent once more, however not fairly a straightforward younger Linkwood. I am sorry, Linkwood-Glenlivet.
SGP:461 – 84 factors. |
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That is eleven Linkwoods, Nigel. We’ll have extra tomorrow, good evening.
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