Linkwood 26 year old 1982 Port Finish
Review by Linkwood
- Nose
Light prickle to start with. Immediately, a distinct, juicy, citric nose (rich, ripe oranges, pomegranates), and milk chocolate or light caramel notes behind; then oat breakfast cereal smeared with heather honey. Late, high-scented floral notes, as in pot pourri. Water reveals some hidden coconut. Waxy, increasing to become sweet honeycomb, with some dried herbs (bay leaf?) and light fruitiness, developing into dried flowers.
- Palate
Sweet and chewy at natural strength; pleasant and warming. Hot. Limes. A sweet, fruity aftertaste, like vanilla cream over a bed of crushed muesli bars. Then, drying cocoa. Adding water makes things clean and very sweet (soft brown sugar?) Good centre palate taste delivery.
- Finish
Still hot. Quite lengthy and cedar-dry. A splash of water brings out a cooling and sublime minty freshness.
- Note
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Natural Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Speyside. Sweet, complex and highly unusual. This expression is a real success: great at cask strength, softer but equally pleasant with water, the whisky is not obviously influenced by port. The unexpected acid/sweet twist in the taste is very interesting. One of three 26 year old Linkwoods released together. Each is finished in different wood, although the original distillery character has not been subsumed by the finishing casks, so they bear a family resemblance. Even if you’re not usually a fan of wine finishes, they are worthy of comparison; the rum/wine flavours are indiscernible as such, although they create an integrated whole.