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