tasting 4 Linkwoods

Once again I'm postponing my Miltonduff tasting, but fear not, it'll be in soon enough. Linkwood is a distillery that many favour as a both affordable, available and very good whisky. I can surely agree with the first two, but I've had some problems with whisky from this distillery to be fair. Let's hope for a better voyage this time.
















Linkwood 6yo 2004-2011 40% Signatory Vintage cask#800011,800012

This one is called "Very Cloudy". I'll pour it, let's see. Btw, I didn't know of any 40% Signatory bottlings until this one. Going against the trends in the market? Or trying to make most benefit of a sub-par cask? Maybe a bit of both? It doesn't get very cloudy yet. Maybe with some water. Let's try it bare first. It smells sweet, potato starch, tamarind, orange zest, very nice. The taste is sweet, bitter, tonic water, wet hay, rotting grapes. This is not what I fancy in a malt whisky, but I can't really criticize SV for bottling this young and affordable as to a 22-somethingyo CS expensive whisky that probably would fool many into thinking it was a "special one". Oh yes, water makes it a bit cloudy but it never changes or improves the taste.

Light stuff, then bitter and weird, not to my liking: 3


Fall of Fryers 22yo 51.8% The Whisky Connoisseur cask#9457

I like these old miniatures from The Whisky Connoisseur, some hidden gems to be found. The series that really made me discover the malts of Dailuaine Distillery. This has a light copper tone. It smells honey and vanilla, quite creamy, butterscotch, butter, rich. The taste is rich, fruity, tropical fruits, melons, mango, pistachio, orange liqueur, rum, peppery. Some water added. Becomes more bitter, oily, fish sauce, smoked salmon, nice notes, but lacks a bit of power.

A bit boring, but still a good and reliable malt: 4


Linkwood 14yo 1979-1993 58.5% Cadenhead's

A heavily dark sherried whisky at young age. Perhaps a treat in amongst this slightly boring tasting so far. I hope so. The color is dark brown, I see these bottlings rarer and rarer these days. Expensive sherry casks? I think so! It smells cinnamon, red onions, bell peppers, honey, dry, coriander, raisins, bakery, tea, gasoline, grape juice, this is another class for sure, so far... The taste is sweet, sulphury, chillies, sun-dried tomatoes, intense and rich. Water added. Now it turns sweeter, strawberries, raspberry, orange zest, oaky, herbal, dry licorice.

A great dram, bottled at a perfect age: 8


Linkwood 10yo 1984-1995 59.7% Signatory Vintage cask#4035 btl.664/860

This one comes from a sherry butt. Not nearly as dark as the one from Cadenhead's, but color doesn't really matter, its all in the tasting, isn't it? The color is dark amber with a hint of pink(?). It smells sweet, caramel, toffee, fried bananas, rose water, caramelized onions, smooth and sweet. The taste is honey, peppery, black peppercorns, dried pork meat, bitter & grassy. With a couple drops of water added it turns lighter, sweeter, marshmallows and honey, kids cereals, too sweet for me.

Without water its a fine dram, with, it seems a bit too young: 4.5



Next tasting: Miltonduff Distillery

Tasting 4 Benriachs

Because I'm awaiting one more Miltonduff soon I'll have some Benriach instead. Benriach have had quite a renaissance the last years with peated versions and a bunch of single cask bottlings released. A new OB range has also contributed to a better reputation for Benriach Distillery. Two bottled in the mid-90's and two bottled more recently.
















Benriach 20yo 1991-2011 51.6% Malts of Scotland cask#32283

From a bourbon barrel, a 20yo, as you can see, this has a pretty low strength at CS even at this age. That's much due to the less tight oak structure in american oak than european. The color is light caramel, it smells peppery, gingerbread, peat, grassy, licorice, bitter, very nice, a malt that speaks loud. The taste is bitter and zesty, lime and tonic water. Unusual profile, very enjoyable, but rather short finish. With a small addition of water it becomes sweeter, oranges, grapefruit, honey, vanilla, herbs, onions, nectarine, peaches, chillies. A long oaky and peppery finish.

Great stuff, a potent whisky, but do add water: 8.5


Benriach 17yo 1993-2010 56.7% OB cask#7420

A single cask that's been finished in another cask. Finished in a Gaja Barolo hogshead. I'm not all about these wine finishings, but some have been great, some early batches of the Glenmorangie Nectar D'or were superb. The color is reddish brown. It smells peaty, dry red wine, tannins, cinnamon, lime peel, feta cheese, chillies, another powerful whisky. The taste is zesty, rich, sulphury, grassy, licorice, salmi, peppermint. With some water it becomes sweeter, onions, straw, green chillies, peppery, butter, grape seeds, drying, bitter, cigar, a decent sense of ashtray in this one.

I'm still not too sure about these red wine finishes: 6


Benriach 17yo 1978-1995 59.7% Cadenhead's

Another 17yo, but this time no finishings. Na a nice opportunity to try old school Benriach vs. a new "tampered" some might say, version. Golden honey color, some cask sediments as well. It smells peaty, strong, cinnamon, red bell peppers, peach tea, minty, vanilla, cloves, herbal. Very nice. The taste is all on paprika, vanilla and gun powder. Once again I'll add some water. Now it gets sweeter, more creamy, more cinnamon and even more vanilla. Great finish which lasts for abut 30 minutes, all on peppery, oaky, peaty and spicy notes.

Great stuff, though not refined in any way, savage whisky: 7


Benriach 11yo 1983-1993 60.6% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#5211,5212,5213

The youngster of the bunch at only 11yo. Golden color. I think single casks are often higher appreciated than these multiple cask CS bottlings from G&M. It smells kinda raw, orange zest, raw onions, grassy, melon, honey, pistachio, sawdust, a fierce whisky. The taste is creamy and thick, meringue, toffee, spiced cake, cinnamon, cupcakes, caramel, syrup, so sweet that its a bit of hard to find the beautiful peppery notes beyond that. Given time, beautiful notes of black pepper, pecan nuts, pistachio and orange zest comes forward.

Never underestimate an old G&M bottling: 8.5



Next tasting: Miltonduff Distillery

Tasting no less than 7 Inchgowers

I do not see this distillery to often, but this should be a treat considering there's quite a few oldies in this session.





















Inchgower 12yo 40% OB Arthur Bell & Sons

I don't think there are any standard OBs from Inchgower today, but there is a 14yo in the flora & fauna series. The color on this one is amber, colored with E's. It smells cinnamon and spices, gingerbread, oranges, white wine reduction, peppery, very nice one. The taste is perfumy, cinnamon, tobacco, ginger, drying, wheat, tonic, a lot of sherry notes going on here. Impressive for a 12yo OB, not many of those around these days, at least not at this strength.

A perfect introduction to Inchgower?: 6


Inchgower 28yo 1982-2010 50.7% Bladnoch Distillery Forum cask#6966

Amber hue on this one. It smells soft, wheat, boiled rice, esteragon, earthy, a much tamer version than the 12yo. The taste is sweet, floral, honey, red bell peppers, cinnamon, cigars, parsnip, sweet and delightful, could've been any light 10-12yo speysider. But then again, there are no off-notes, no spirity notes, no oaky notes even after 28 years in wood, so it's really letting the quality of the spirit speak up.

A nice and light oldie, to enjoy at any occasion: 6.5


Inchgower 26yo 1976-2002 49.9% Hart Brothers

Pale color on this one. It smells oaky, a lot of woof influence, spirity, raw, vinegar. Leaves a bit to be desired. The taste is gentle, grassy, winey, rhubarb, garlic, thyme, sour-herbal profile... Let's add some water. Now it turns more bitter, grassier, lesser of the good stuff though I must admit it was kinda scarce to begin with as well.

Tired wood?: 4


Inchgower 19yo 54.3% Master of Malt

Another very pale one. It smells rich, caramel, parsnip, cloves, dry tea, herbs, tea-shop, peaches, dried fruits, a small tea-monster. The taste is "apples and oranges" A bit of everything from the fruit world, not all blending in too well. Pears, mango, lemon, kiwi, apricot and more. However it comes of a bit weak, peppery with small hints of hay in the finish.

Sad, the nose promised so much more: 4


Inchgower 29yo 53.9% Master of Malt

Another one from the Master of Malt. I remember they priced this one very fairly. Too bad theis shop doesn't ship to Norway anymore. The color is light golden. It smells rich, deep fry, grits, fatty, licorice, cinnamon, wheat crackers, dry. Its not far from the prior two, but it is enhanced by a lot more concentrated aromas, which I quite like. The taste is thick and rich, creamy, sour cream, cinnamon, banana, marzipan, one of the best arrivals I've had. Then it turns lightand peppery. Bitter notes, austere, grassy, fuchsia fruit in the finish.

An arrival of perfection, then it went down from there on: 6.5


Inchgower 28yo 1982-2010 56.2% Berry Bros & Rudd cask#6968

BB&R is yet to disappoint me, bottling a lot of older casks to affordable prices (in comparison to many others on the market these days). Another light golden hue. Many old whiskies in this session, but not a dark one so far. Who said color matters? It smells of wheat, hay, orange zest, honey, apple vinegar. The taste is sour and bitter, a lot going on, lime juice, coffee beans, stearic, spicy, Wow!

If you like a strong one, I know I do: 7


Inchgower 12yo 59% James MacArthur's

I often finish my sessions with a young J.McA at very high strengthg. I see some again go from youngest to oldest. I think a high strength whisky will easily dominate a 40-43% no matter how old it is. Finishing with the most heavily peated on the other hand I completely agree with, peat leaves more taste than alcohol. Pale white wine color on this one. It smells spirity, rubber, burnt plastic, as raw as it gets. The taste is fat, butter, baked beans, oil, bacon, pesto The finish is bittersweet, long, herbal and peppery.

Contrary to others in this session, this finishes on a high note: 7



Next tasting: Miltonduff Distillery

Tasting 4 Cragganmores

Cragganmore is a very good whisky, but a bit hard to find a big variety of. I've managed to source some samples along with a Blackadder Raw Cask. This session makes for all in all 13 tasted Cragganmores for me, hopefully there will be some more. (I'm sorry for the crappy photo, but I'm now using a crappy old Canon while my Nikon is being repaired).


















Cragganmore 17yo 1988-2006 55.5% OB

Golden color on this one, no added E's. It smells old newspapers and garlic, strange. Sulphur, coriander, juniper, bonfire, unusual to say the least. I'm intrigued so far. The taste is thick and sweet, cinnamon, peppery, caramel, pineapple, musty. The finish is musty, peaty, mustard and red wine vinegar. A very good whisky from an active cask, but still a lot of distillery characteristics.

So thick it's almost like a syrup: 6.5


Cragganmore 29yo 1973-2003 52.5% OB

Again a nice golden hue. At this age you'd perhaps expect a darker whisky, but color more often than not tell nothing at all about the whisky. It smells grainy, musty, sweet, licorice, heather, wool, orange peel, another dirty whisky? The taste is austere, vanilla, grassy, honey, grainy, dried fruits, peat, onions, a lot going on in this one. The finish is peppery.

Expressive whisky, still a bit raw for its age: 6


Cragganmore 21yo 1989-2010 56% OB

This one is a bit more pale. It smells peppery, cut green apples, baking powder, mustard. Much lighter than the others in my opinion. The taste is sweet, bananas, vanilla, cream, the becomes very drying, sour leaves, yoghurt, dry white wine. The finish is peppery and long.

Doesn't live up to the standard set by the previous two: 4


Cragganmore 15yo 1989-2004 57.9% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#1970

Second in a row distilled in 1989, lets hope this one fares a bit better. The color is grey-ish golden. A lot of cask sediments. It smells rich, acidic, syrup, ginger, starch, onions, chili, nutty, burnt sugar, hay. The taste is warming, drying, peppery, chillies, in need of some water I think, it really numbs my palate. With a dash of added water it turns sweeter, green apples, almost cider-ish. Caramel, beetroot, onions, rose water, chestnuts, thyme. Cragganmore is a very variable whisky, but all of these has a lot going on.

Another BIG whisky from Cragganmore: 6.5



Next tasting: Inchgower Distillery

Tasting 7 OB Fettercairns

Yes, Fettercairn OBs from various times, and one that's actually an IB series by Whyte & MacKay, the Stillman's Dram, but since Whyte & MacKay owns Fettercairn Distillery I see it as an OB this time... Kind of like the S/V bottlings of Edradour. I've said a lot of things about Fettercairn before in this blog, so no need to do that again. A common nominator for all of these whiskies are that none are bottled at cask strength. I'll be tasting from right to left as you see them, ending with the Fior.



Old Fettercairn 8yo 40% OB for Importato Da Pilla S.P.A. Castelmaggiore

A bottling from the 70's. Rare stuff, but rare doesn't always mean good, although the prices these days might suggest so. Amber hue. It smells honey, peppery, quite intense perfume, butter, malty. The taste is peppery, honey, floral, creamy, gouda, wax, very rich for its young age and low strength. The finish is oaky, malty, peppery with hints of chewing tobacco and lavender.

A very nice whisky, complex and rich: 7.5


Old Fettercairn 8yo 43% OB for Liquorama S.A.S. Di R. Orlandi & Co. S. Donato Milanese

Another young oldie, probably from around the same time as the prior one. I do not know how the connection with Italian became, but I think the Italians discovered the pleasures of single malt a bit before the rest of europe. This whisky is just a tiny bit lighter in color, golden. It smells white wine, grapes, roasted nuts, chilies, feta, white paprika. The taste is sweet, light, creamy, milk chocolate, pistachio. Once again great stuff, great Old Fettercairn from times gone by. peppery and short finish.

The finish holds this one back just a bit: 7


Fettercairn 1824 12yo 40% OB

This was a short-lived whisky they made in the last half of last decade. I remember it was kind of ill received, and it wasn't my favourite, but the first batches were alright I think, 6-ish in my book. This is one of the last batches before most shops stopped selling it, but I fear not! The color is deep golden and adjusted to such. It smells malty and sort of spirity, perhaps some leeks and burnt oak. The taste is
sweet and bitter, beetroots, sweet potatoes, stewed onions, creamy. Nice. The aftertaste on the other hand is bitter and burnt.

Not bad, but it lacks much of the richness of the other two: 5.5


Old Fettercairn 10yo 40% OB

I think this is the 80's or early 90's Old Fettercairn, before they upped to 43%abv. I have not tried this one before against the 10yo 43% that became its successor. I'll have that one next. Light golden color. It smells sweet, maize, pesto, caramel, cinnamon, red bell peppers, green tea. The taste is light and peppery, soft whisky with a tiny peppery edge. Really light and a bit too mundane. The finish is drying and bitter.

This is one to start with, if not it will disintegrate, too weak: 3.5


Old Fettercairn 10yo 43% OB

The successor of the last on and the predecessor of the 12yo 1824. Let's see, but I think they had legitimate reasons when they launched the 1824 although it didn't fulfill their expectations, I believe. Enough politics, let's taste. It has a light golden color, also tampered by E's. It smells spirity and peppery, dry white wine, tonic. The taste is burnt and spicy, mostly burnt. This a one-dimensional whisky! The finish is just drying and spirity.

This is the worst Fettercairn I've ever had: 2


Fettercairn 1824 30yo 45% The Stillman's Dram Whyte & Mackay btl.001102

I don't think W&M bottles this series anymore, but when they did it was a nice alternative to their standard bottlings. Same color as the last two ones. It smells herbal, nettles, oregano, basil, thyme, orange zest, turmeric. The taste is very sour, grainy, oaky, a bit too much oak in this one for my palate. I think it needs some water. With 1 1/2 teaspoon added, to be precise, it gets more rounded, apple juice and cointreau are coming my way. Sweet as it gets, but a bit light for my liking. The finish is peppery and oaky without water, with water its minty and fresh, how is that possible?

It seems a bit tamed by the years in wood, I wish they bottled it at CS: 4.5


Fettercairn NAS 43% OB Fior

One of the things I find impressive about Fettercairn is that in the midst of the Cairdeas'es, Legends, A'bunadhs, Moch's, Traditional Cask's, and so on, all with No Age Statement, Fettercairn launches a series of 24yo, 30yo and 40yo. And this one. But remember, no stock in this whisky is younger than 12yo except the small share, about 5% I think, of peated whisky. But once again, its all in the tasting. This one has the color of red. They say there's a lot of sherried casks going into this whisky. It smells peppery, old books, orange juice, licorice, jägermeister, bitter and herbal. This one has a bit more going for it then the last ones. The taste is peaty, minty, oranges, coriander, a very sweet and light whisky. I have to say this is perhaps the perfect starter to a sushi, but for a whisky it lacks a bit.

The ultimate middle of the road, which isn't bad considering the price: 5



Next tasting: Cragganmore Distillery

Tasting 6 Bladnochs

Bladnoch is a dangerous whisky, easy to drink, and often just that vague that I get the feeling I need another taste just to make sure I've traced all the characters I can within the whisky. Here goes a series of 6 whiskies from 6 different bottlers, should cover most of Bladnoch's characteristics, and possibly then some.



Bladnoch 1991 50% James MacArthur's

Pale white wine color. Usually these bottles from James MacArthur's are bottles at cask strength or 43%abv (in rare cases). I commend J.McA for that policy, so I wonder why they decided to bottle this at 50%abv. It smells lemon, apples, tamarind, sour and fruity. Not much more on the nose. The taste is burnt, earthy, orange zest, tamarind again, cardboard, onions, a bit "dirty". With some added water it turns sweeter, more peppery, sweet korma, fried bell peppers. A lot more going on now. I'd say its more of an adventure when diluted, more astray from the beaten lowland path.

Easy to enjoy, easy to forget, light: 4


Bladnoch 22yo 50% Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing

Light golden hueon this one from Douglas Laing. I usually enjoy Bladnoch but often find when tasting the distilleries thats been down for a while, Glen Keith, Glenglassaugh, Tamnavulin and such, some bottlings also helps show maybe why they closed down. Remember, the recent bottlings may derive a lot compared to what the distillery made back in the old days. This one smells of leather and tobacco, dried fruits, honey, very pleasant. The taste is rich, spicy, chillies, straw, sour grapes, ginger, starfruit, aniseeds, lime, basil leaves, carrot juice. A long stretch from the pleasant nose, still nice, but no coherence between nose and palate. With a dash of water it turns more peppery and honeyed, still sour with ginger notes. Again it improves a bit, not much, with water.

The nose alone brings this one up a notch: 5


Bladnoch 22yo 1990-2012 54.4% Malts of Scotland cask#12019

Another 22yo, another bourbon cask, but this time bottled at cask strength. Should usually make a difference. This one is from a barrel which is bigger than a hogshead. More time, less oaky notes usually. The color is golden. It smells peppery, honeyed, floral, elderflowers, syrup, distinct moscatel wine, shallots, nutty, perfumy, butter cream, enticing. The taste is heather, peppery, warming, coal, wool, rose pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, gentle and warming, a peculiar mix.

One to have alongside your cheese platter: 4.5


Bladnoch 15yo 55% OB

Bladnoch was not only a distillery for a while, but also an independent bottler with the Bladnoch Forum-series. It's been awhile since I saw any bottlings from them, but I hope their still in business. This one is from the "Spirit of the Lowlands"-series. I think Bladnoch did a smart move when naming a whisky so that it emphasizes on a whole region. Light golden hue. It smells thick, fresh bakery, oily, olive oil, cauliflower, fish oil, ginger, chutney, laurels, carrot juice, tomato sauce, kinda bland. The taste is creamy, toffee, herbal, parsley, majorian, leeks, basil, light toffee, camphor, cough drops.

This one is the be(a)st of the bunch so far: 6


Bladnoch 11yo 1985-1996 56.8% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#318,352,870,871

This one has the most color of the bunch, light orange/amber. It smells peppery, licorice, onions, campari, very bitter. I hope it tastes better. Bitter odors sometimes makes for great palates, Bowmore being one example of that in my opinion. The taste is very drying, fino? Bitter and drying, some stewed onions and grind coffee alongside nutmegin the finish. Besides some nice hints of garlic and nutmeg initially, this one is a letdown for me.

An extreme whisky, extremely bitter that is: 3.5


Bladnoch 13yo 1987-2000 59.3% Scott's Selection

I've had quite a few from SS, and with a couple more yet to be tasted. I like these smaller indies as they have nothing more than their quality to rely on. Whereas G&M, Cadenhead's and S/V are such well-established brands with a huge enough output that they can afford bottling a bad cask or two every now and again. Pale white wine color on this oneIt smells light, kirsch, strawberries, onions, wheat, spirity, new-make, a bit "un-finished" in my opinion. The taste is earthy, oak, smoky, nessel soup, grassy, ginger, straw, leather, dry. A lot of so-called un-desired notes going on here, but its still very good. With additional water it turns more bitter, with a tonic water taste.

A dirty, foul and almost rancid whisky that's too raw to dislike: 6



Next tasting: Fettercairn Distillery



Oh, and this was my 300th post on www.maltdiary.com, I think it was a nice way to celebrate that. Next time my favorite distillery.

Tasting 5 Tamdhus

Tamdhu was down for about half a year I think it was, back in 2009/2010, but its now back up and running with new owners Ian MacLeod's Distillers. A distillery that very often falls below the radar, let's see how this all CS-session will work out.





Tamdhu 25yo 50.1% Whisky-Doris

Whisky-Doris is a great indie bottler, that thrives more on quality than quantity. The color on this one is golden. It smells sweet, aniseed, bitter licorice, tea, hay, dried herbs. The taste is sweet and peppery, bitter, aniseeds, herbs, red onions, needs a bit of water to open up. Now it turns more bitter, tonic, tannic, grainy, drying, text-book fino-matured whisky.

Great stuff, but for those with an acquired taste: 6


Tamdhu 20yo 1990-2011 49.8% Malts of Scotland cask#8119

A sample from www.whiskysamples.eu. From a sherry butt. Color is deep golden/bronze. It smells sweet, honey, apricot jam, heather, mint leaves, butterscotch, a sweet treat. The taste is again honey, ginger, white rum, raisins, peppery, spirity. I do like it, but it seems to come from a tired cask, not much vitality left in this whisky.

Light, easy, sweet sherried malt: 6


Tamdhu 20yo 1988-2009 54.3% Krüger's Schloss Whisky for www.whiskyauction.com

Deep orange hue on this one, another sherried one? Doesn't have to be, there are really dark bourbon matured whiskies as well. It smells rich, peppery, honied, lemon, leeks, burnt oak. The taste is sweet, marzipan, bourbon, cream liqueur, balsamic vinaigrette, banana peel, mustard. With a touch of water it gets peppery, burnt, loses some of the sweetness and gets more bitter.

Without water: 7


Tamdhu 15yo 1989-2004 58.2% James MacArthur's Old Master's cask#8132

Time to try the high strength youngsters in this session. I must say that this series can seem a bit misleading as Old Master's is not a series of old whisky necessarily, but rather a series of whisky from old distilleries. The color is white wine. It smells peppery, vanilla, bitter, lemon, lime, white grapes. Interesting, a nose that don't give away too much. The taste is sweet, bananas, vanilla, oranges, honey, peppery, very straight-forward, but all with great flavors to show off. I like this a lot. Some blue cheese, cinnamon and tamarind in the background.

The best one in this session, a more revealed spirit: 7.5


Tamdhu 12yo 1994-2007 61.1% Enjoy Whisky cask#1998 btl.174/217

I did own a whole 75cl of this one, from which I grabbed this sample, but sad to say it didn't give me many pleasures. Hopefully, in company with other Tamdhus, it'll be able to shine a bit more. The label quoted "dark sherry", but it's far from a dark whisky. Dark golden at best. It smells burnt, citrus fruits, oranges, grapefruit, green apples, mint, spirity. The taste is sweet and sherried at first, mango chutney, honey, cinnamon, creamy, thick. Then goes into a more peppery and spirity style, probably due to the high strength. With some water added it turns sweeter, more bitter, fino style, extremely peppery and bitter, hard to detect other nuances. Again I would not put water in this one.

A glimmer of greatness on the nose and at first sip, the rest is just foul: 3.5



Next tasting: Bladnoch Distillery