It happens quite a lot that I go in without any expectations, when trying a whisky. With Linkwood, I tend to go in with a bit of apprehension. Experiences have been mixed at best, but if you don’t try, you don’t win.
This 10 year old from Dràm Mòr came in a little while ago and I tried it over the weekend. I had no idea what to expect, when something is a bourbon barrel finish. It does sound a bit like Woodford Reserve’s ‘Double Oak’, but it could be that the first cask was not a bourbon cask?
Anyway, Linkwood. It tends to show some hop like notes and therefore can be a bit beery. Of course, I love beer so that’s not a problem at all. It does make for a slightly more unique experience, with all its hits and misses.
Sniff:
There’s a strange sweetness that I can’t pin down. Parma violets, but also a herbaceous note. There’s quite some barley too, and a light oaky note. A bit of burnt caramel as well.
Sip:
There’s the beer like bitterness that is not uncommon in Linkwood. I was hoping for this note. A certain hop-like herb flavor. Crisp and dry barley, with some dark caramel.
Swallow:
The finish is very similar, with bitterness, dryness and that plant like sweetness.
So, after trying this, the first thing I did was look it up on Whiskybase and when finding that there are no bottles for sale in The Netherlands, send a message to Viktorija of Dràm Mòr if she knew any addresses that might not have added their stock to the base. It seems like this is not the case and ordering it in from Germany or Austria adds € 25 in shipping. I’m still considering it.
In short, this is a lovely dram with some unique flavors. I was very surprised by it and the ‘weird’ scents are weird in a good way. Lovely stuff!
88/100