Linkwood 15 Years (Gordon and MacPhail) Review



Country: Scotland
Brand: Linkwood
Region: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Age: 15 Years
ABV: 40%

Colour: Full Gold

Nose: I thought I was smelling a Bowmore at first. In a blind tasting this would have fooled me completely. First impressions are Peat, Smoke, Leather and Oak, followed by Hints of Sherry, Caramel, Red Fruit, Malt, Dried Fruits (Sultanas) and Honey. I got the image of old books found in an attic that hadn't been dusted for quite some time! It's not unpleasant but a bit one-dimensional.


Taste: Slightly Thin Delivery. Another one that should have been bottled at 46%. I find Peat, Oak, Red Fruit, Sherry, Black Pepper, Anise, Olive Oil and Salt.

Finish: Middle-Long with some Black Pepper, Anise, Wet Earth and a sprinkling of Salt. The mild Peat stays with you for a couple of minutes. 

I added a few drops of Water but the Nose does not change a lot. And Palate and Finish just get watered down. Sip this one neat!

Rating: 82.5 

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 20.5


General Remarks: The Linkwood Distillery was built in Elgin in 1821. A second facility was constructed in Linkwood in 1971. The old distillery went out of production in 1985. It reopened in 1990 but produces only during a couple of months per year. Today it is part of the Diageo Group. Gordon and MacPhail is an Independent Bottler and Distiller founded in Elgin in 1895. Currently the company bottles over 350 expressions from around 70 Distilleries. This Linkwood expression was matured in a combination of first fill and refill Ex-Sherry Casks. In Europe it's sold at around US$ 60.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: I was expecting more of the Linkwood 15 Years. Its nose is controlled by Peat that leaves little room for other flavour components to come forward. The Nose is familiar to a standard Bowmore but the latter manages a better balance between Peat and Sweet components such as Fruits and Sherry. The bottling at 40% is clearly a mistake. As a result, the Delivery is on the Thin side. The Palate is not very complex and Peaty Spiced Olive Oil summons it up reasonably. That does not exist in real life of course but inventing stuff is one of the privileges of the writer! The Finish is nothing special but the mild Peat stays in your mouth for a few minutes. It's not a bad dram but it suffers from being too one-dimensional. Frankly, it's a bit boring.

 Jan van den Ende                                                            November 25, 2012

Gordon & MacPhails's Shop in Elgin

2 comments:

Whiskycuse said...

Hey Jan,

is that a bottling, that you have bought in brasil? The bottling in germany is bottled at 43%ABV and delivers a very intense and enjoyable mouthfeel.

Marcus

Jan van den Ende said...

Hi Marcus, No, this is actually a sample I got via a friend in Holland. Cheers, Jan