This is the third sample I had from the September 2022 outturn from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") at the Jack Rose Saloon. This is a 10 year Linkwood, from a second fill ex-bourbon barrel, bottled at a fiery 62.6% ABV.
Here are the official notes:
An initial fragrance of carnations, elderflower and red roses merged with strawberries, russet apples and apricot jam before tangy quince jelly arrived with hard toffees in a cigar box. Reassuring warmth on the palate softened into cream and demerara sugar, still with a sweet fragrance but now complimented by honey, fudge and ginger cake. Adding water further tempted us with ripe melon, orchard fruits and banana while sweet pastries arrived with apricots, macadamias and cherries topped with a sticky glaze. Flavours then embraced maple syrup and balsa wood before a herbal complexity developed into cocoa nibs and orange oil on the finish.
Well... that's a nice lineup of flowers and fruit and sweetness, about what you'd expect from a cask strength Linkwood of this age. Let's explore:
Nose: Honey, vanilla, malt, dunnage warehouse (dust, earth), hints of orchard fruit. Almost everybody in the room agreed heartily with one woman who loudly pronounced this "dusty."
Along with dust, I got chalk, clay/kiln... and a note I wrote down as "ginnish" - juniper, Christmas trees, and other gin-like herbs and botanicals.
Mouthfeel: Thinner, but still solid enough.
Palate: Chalk, dust, apple, dried cherry... baking spices, including cinnamon. Malt.
How odd - almost nothing like the official notes, except for the cherries.
Finish: My notes say "dry, spicy, oaky" and nothing more specific than that.
Verdict: An interesting Linkwood but not, perhaps, a wondrous one. The cherries and "gin" qualities were the standouts here, I wasn't sure how to process the heavy "dust" element. Interesting but not compelling, maybe.
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