LINKWOOD AGED 15 YEARS (G&M) ~ SPEYSIDE, SCOTLAND

85/100 Whisky Base
83/100 Whisky Advocate

Dark spice and strawberries abound this 15-year-old from the Linkwood distillery.

Dave Brown - Whisky Advocate "A catch-up rather than a new release, but a fascinating contrast to the 14-year-old Flora & Fauna bottling. Yes, there’s an apple blossom, but here there’s more medlar, fruit syrups, raspberry, and an intriguing play between vanilla and lightly oxidized nuttiness. Linkwood’s substance is shown on the palate, where an oily feel adds texture to the lush dried fruits and saffron-led spiciness. Best neat. An elegant dram."

Nose - Sweet and expressive. It reveals sweet notes of almond liqueur. Pronounced notes of passion fruit and a mocha coffee. Lightly medicinal, arnica.
Palate - Generous, rich. Well-defined dried fruit, honey, dry biscuits and shortbread. Evokes coffee, bitter chocolate. Notes of toasted oak.
Overall - Long with notes of walnuts and rancio. A return to dark chocolate and toasted malted barley.

The Linkwood distillery sits in Elgin, drawing its water from the springs of Millbuies Loch. Next to the distillery is a large and rather beautiful reservoir that plays host to a variety of local wildlife including ducks and swans, the latter can be seen gracing the label of the twelve-year-old bottling. Linkwood is home to two stillhouses, Linkwood A, which is currently not in use, houses the two original stills and Linkwood B, in which a further four stills operate.