Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 40%ABV
Ageing casks: N/A
Chillfiltered: Yes
Additional colouring: N/A
Property: Speymalt Whisky Distributors Ltd.
Average price: € 65.00
Official Website: www.gordonandmacphail.com
Vote: 87/100
The great thing about frequenting wine shops, even small and sparsely stocked ones, is that you can come across not really recent whiskies, curious stockpiles not without interest repositioned on the shelves. Such is the case with this Linkwood 15yo offered by Gordon & MacPhail.
On the label we find no indication of the bottling period, but after a search on the Net, conducted with the support of dear Lamberto, the conclusion is that it’s from the 1990s. The ageing casks remain unknown.
In an era of almost total transparency, with opensly declared dates of distillation, casks of maturation, and in some cases even type of barley, it’s kind of odd being confronted with a single malt of which you only know the distillery of origin.
But whisky always forces us to measure ourselves, philosophically and concretely, with the dimension of ‘time’, and so today we indulge in the tasting experience with even greater transport than usual.
It goes without saying that the data in the summary sheet is incomplete: chillfiltering is deduced from the strength, the price is that on the wine shop shelf, and the possible availability on the market remains almost impossible to verify.
Tasting notes
A brilliant gold shines in the glass.
The nose is fruity, sweet and quite pleasing, with notes of apricot jam, peach, yellow apple, pear, but also zabaglione and malaga. A triumph of pampering supported by a spicy nutmeg base, a touch of wood and an impression of pastry. Linkwood’s ‘floral’ style translates into the memory of a well-rounded bouquet. The oleander fragrance that peeps out is a surprise. Sultanas, before an important hint of vanilla growing over time.
In the mouth, the whisky is soft and enveloping and confirms the substantial impression of alcoholic flattery, with yellow orange juice, apricot and nectarine. The ginger brings its sparkling contribution, before the floral side (oleander goes hand in hand with geranium this time) openly manifests itself.
The finish is not very long, but lively, with juicy, tangy yellow apple, yellow orange zest and a touch of ginger.
A whisky that makes you think of certain Sunday lunchtimes, when sated and satisfied you just need a caress to seal the pleasure, a sort of kiss that leaves a good taste in your mouth. More ‘technically’, it’s a dram that accurately frames, in our humble opinion, the distillery’s DNA, and which confirms how, at times, the minimum alcohol content is simply perfect.