It is time for the second whisky from Dràm Mòr’s Christmas release, the 10-year-old Linkwood – a Speyside distillery in Elgin, Scotland. Most of the Dràm Mòr bottlings I have reviewed come from distilleries new to me, so it has been an interesting and exciting journey. This Linkwood is exceptional, and I am left asking myself why on Earth I haven’t tasted any Linkwood until now.
It has been matured in a first-fill bourbon barrel for ten years, then bottled at 55 % and yielded 245 bottles. It is available to purchase from select locations if it is still available.
Nose
The nose is quite pronounced, and I am immediately being bombarded with all these different notes. I am finding creamy vanilla – maybe like vanilla custard, the familiar sherry notes of different kinds of red fruits, something floral, nail polish remover, and the perfect amount of oak.
I am a little confused by what I feel like is a faint toasted note, but it suits this whisky very well indeed. I do not know if there is any peat or smoke in this Linkwood, but this note adds something extra, and I like it a lot. A strong cereal note steps forward after it has breathed for a few minutes, reminding me of Digestives or some kind of cookies. Delicious notes of yellow stone fruits like apricots and peaches, drizzled with honey follow, slowly evolving into a quite heavy leather note – which I love.
Palate
The Linkwood is a bit more fruity on the palate than on the nose, although it is less of a fruit bomb than many other whiskies I have tasted recently. I am most definitely getting those toasted vanilla notes on the palate, then raisins – maybe even as specific as sultanas, wonderfully balanced oak, a bit of leather, wood polish, stone fruits and honey notes.
Finish
The finish on this whisky is long and moreish, while the alcohol is prickling a little on my tongue. It is a little bit oaky, spicy and to me, it is most definitely lightly smoked. The finish has a slight bitterness, comparable to the aftertaste you get after sipping a Guinness, leaving my mouth feeling a bit dry. Then some cereal, biscuits and also some jam.
I could nose this whisky forever, ever and straight into eternity. I would even go as far as saying that I would like to be buried with a glass of this amber deliciousness in my hand. I love it. LOVE IT. Well done for picking out this cask, well done!
Now, this is a whisky I will get behind. I am fighting the urge to order a bottle as I type up this review, solely because I might have purchased an unknown number of bottles in 2020. Now, I am happy to report that resistance is futile and one bottle of Dràm Mòr Linkwood will indeed be coming to Norway.
Cask #306772
First-fill Bourbon Barrel
ABV: 55 %
Country: Scotland
Dràm Mòr Group Ltd. are family Scotch single cask whisky bottlers, choosing individual casks to showcase the best of every Scottish whisky, originating from the once highly influential town of Dumbarton, which rests in the shadow of its iconic Rock, Dumbarton’s medieval Castle, an ancient capital of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, and which boasts such whisky legacy as Ballantine’s and is home to Pernod Ricard’s Chivas.
A huge thanks to Dràm Mòr for kindly sending me this sample.
Tasting notes and opinions about this release are strictly my own.
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