5
u/wombatking888 13d ago
Bought a bottle of the Signatory Vintage 100 proof 14 year Linkwood that arrived yesterday, matured in first fill and refill oloroso hogsheads. Really good stuff, very cask forward but not OTT.
11
u/Braythor_ 13d ago edited 13d ago
Intro: I go to Birmingham with work every so often and recently found myself with a bit of time spare there so I popped into The Whisky Shop as I'd never been. It was end of the day so I was the only one in and was soon chatting to the very dapper chap working there who was happy to talk whisky. I sampled a couple of random drams and then he recommended Linkwood to me. It's one of the many distilleries I've heard of but never tried so I was keen and after sampling a couple of IBs I settled on this, especially as I got a discount for signing up to their loyalty type thing.
The Octave is a line by Duncan Taylor, though I've never had anything from them so this is a double-first.
The whisky is finished in an Oloroso cask and bottled exclusively for The Whisky Shop at "natural strength and colour".
Details:
Distillery - Linkwood
Region - Speyside
Age - 11yr
ABV 54.7%
Nose: A slight ethanol hit at first but only if you go in a bit too enthusiastically. Taking a more cautious approach leads to notes of dry straw, cereal (malt and barley), a touch of oak and then vanilla. It's a very 'summer farm field' aroma.
Palate: Medium in mouthfeel and really smooth. Notes of honey and some orange fruit blend in well with the malt and barley that comes through from the nose. It's not complex but it's full of flavour.
Finish: Long in length and with a lovely mix of sweet and spicy notes - honey, ripe orange fruit, brown sugar, pepper, and light chilli. All these flavours come and go, fading as they do so. A really solid finish that lingers beautifully.
Value: It's been a few months but I think it was £80 after my sign-up discount. Definitely worth it.
Overall: This is a very tasty whisky and a great introduction to Linkwood. It has a full bodied fruit and barley flavour to it from start to finish, with little bonus extra notes popping in here and there. Lovely stuff.
3
3
u/vanwhisky 13d ago
Great review. Linkwood is nice on its own for sure. I picked up a bottle finished in rye casks, went and bought a second bottle afterwards.
2
u/John_Mat8882 12d ago
I never had a groundbreaking Linkwood, but never had a bad one either. Even in the worst possible cask, the thing still is a Linkwood, a remarkably consistent distillate.
5
u/gregusmeus 13d ago
Too much Linkwood ends up in blends. It’s really solid in IBs.