There’s a beautiful story behind this cask of Linkwood 1988. It was acquired from a family in Scotland that had just lost their father, who owned this cask for many years. As his children were looking to sell it, the cask ended up with The Whisky Jury. The name of the original owner is mentioned on the label, and the children each have a number of bottles to enjoy as a tribute to their father.
It’s part of the latest releases from TWJ – the last bach of 2021, which only includes one whisky but also four rums.
Linkwood 33 yo 1988 (47,5%, The Whisky Jury 2021, refill hogshead #2334, 176 btl.)
Nose: very refined. Dried yellow flowers, hints of hay and orange cake. Stewed orchard fruits in the background, as well as a hint of pineapple. Eucalyptus and mint, as well as some sweet spice. Subtle hints of balm and paraffin. Ferns, hay and light whiffs of resinous oak. A bit of a diesel powered whisky, but really good.
Mouth: very aromatic again, with oily and spicy notes. A nice combination of herbal teas, pink pepper, tart apple and floral touches. Very pleasant and rather natural. There’s a slightly sweetness to it, but also a nice acidity, entirely polished by age. Fine oak with a sour and hoppy note (old age).
Finish: not too long, now integrating some nutty notes, tea bitterness and a leafy (tobacco) note as well.
A true no-rush dram. Linkwood often lacks a bit of stand-out character in my opinion, so this wins entirely on balance, charming simplicity and the nice integration of oak. It’s currently being distributed to TWJ retailers around the world and the price is certainly reasonable (around € 285 if I’m not mistaken).