Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Chillfiltered: No
Additional colouring: No
Of Linkwood whisky we appreciate above all its ductility. Over the years we have tasted it in different versions: from ex bourbon casks, ex oloroso sherry, ex PX, even ex vinsanto trentino, and it has never disappointed us. Today, thanks to the independents Càrn Mòr and Infrequent Flyers, we put it to the test with ex calvados and Chinquapin Oak casks. The length of maturation is also noticeably different.
Let’s see how it goes.
Càrn Mòr Linkwood 2011 10yo
Strength: 47.5%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Calvados finish
Owner: Morrison Distillers
Average price: € 80.00
Official website: www.carnmorwhisky.co.uk
Vote: 88/100
The one offered in the Strictly Limited line is a 2011 distillate bottled in 2022, after a finish in ex-Calvados casks, the popular French brandy. Outturn of 817 bottles still available.
Tasting notes
The colour is a brilliant gold,
On the nose, the first encounter is with a rather intense note of tropical fruit (mango and passion fruit), together with a generous sprinkling of cooking spices (rosemary and nutmeg). Peach and apricot, both in syrup, are accompanied by a hint of nuts and an effluence unmistakably reminiscent of apple cider. There is also a floral touch of jasmine, but as the drink progresses, it is the creamy side that prevails, with custard, vanilla and a faint hint of shortcrust pastry.
In the mouth, the attack is slightly peppery, before custard, lemon cream, peach in syrup and apple cider take centre stage. The second palate offers a memory of roses and above all notes of blackberry gumdrop, strawberry Big Babol and freshly picked red grapes.
The finish is decidedly long and mouth-watering, with blackberry gummy candy, hazelnut cream and strawberry cream.
Fruitier on the nose, creamier on the palate, a super chocolaty whisky that is dangerously easy to drink. By far one of the most persuasive Linkwoods we have ever tasted. And the ex-calvados cask test can, in our humble opinion, be said to have been amply passed.
Infrequent Flyers Linkwood 1992 30yo
Strength: 46.8%ABV
Ageing cask: Chinquapin Oak finish
Owner: Alistair Walker Whisky Company
Average price: € 480.00
Official website: www.alistairwalkerwhisky.com
Vote: 90/100
Here instead we have a distillate from November 1992 which, before being bottled in May 2023 at 46.8%ABV, received a finish in Chinquapin Oak, a wood capable of influencing the whisky in a very peculiar way. 219 bottles were produced from this single cask.
Tasting notes
The colour is bright amber and closely resembles that of caramel.
The nose is immediately a riot of fruit: apricot, peach, quince, with a mix of nuts and almonds and an impression of polished light wood. A distant memory of caramel, sharper as the drink continues, is accompanied by a bite of juicy strawberry and a hint of musk. A balsamic note of liquorice root caresses the nose along with a barely noticeable sprinkling of pepper. After several minutes, an effluvium of chocolate-mint that leads straight to After Eight and one of vanilla (milder) peeps out.
The palate is confirmed as hyper-fruity, with apricot, peach, yellow apple and a touch of yellow orange. The spiciness, decidedly more incisive than on the nose, takes on the guise of pepper and marjoram, while here the ‘woody’ reminiscence is different: we are in fact in the parts of freshly cut wood. The caramel accentuates the overall sensation of softness and gluttony and, after the return of the After Eight, opens the door to a long and evidently still fruity finish, with apricot compote, orange juice and peach jam.
The “majestic” ageing gave richness and harmony and the less invasive finish than expected added a further level of sensory enjoyment, for a high-profile result to be enjoyed unhurriedly in all its fullness.