ABV: 48 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a sweet and slightly dusty layer of honey, vanilla and sweet liquorice. Underneath there’s a small basket of green apples and pears. There’s a hint of mint floating around on top. It becomes fruitier with time in the glass. The whole thing is quite delicate and it feels somewhat brittle. In this case that makes it all the more interesting because it still feels very three-dimensional. This is a simple yet absolutely fantastic nose.

Mouth: It starts way more punchy than the nose suggest. At first there’s a spicy kick and a rich maltiness. The fruits are still very much in focus and have switched places with the sweet honey and vanilla. In the background there’s a nice touch of bitterness which makes the whole thing fill up the entire palate. It’s still very dusty and the whole thing is extremely rich. The fruits start to change and turns more towards ripe apples after a few seconds.

Finish: It starts out with a continuation of the spicy overlay. It now feels like freshly ground pepper. The sweet and fruity character is continuing on the same path as before; The fruits ripen and move forward while the sweetness moves back a bit more. It still has a malty core and the gentle bitterness is still creating a background layer without increasing in intensity. The oakiness comes fashionably late and when it does it sort of emerge from the bitter notes in the back. It’s a nice and slightly savory oakiness with a small hint of ham and hazelnuts. This is an absolutely fantastic whisky which has a great journey from start to finish. Not all whiskies need big bold flavours to impress.

Additional information
This linkwood was distilled in 2007 and was aged for 12 years in 4 hogsheads by indipendent bottler Elixir Distillers. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.