The sixth of six drams served at the April outturn tasting for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") at the Jack Rose Saloon in Adams Morgan, Washington DC. At these events, you sit at a small table and one by one make guesses about the six scotches in front of you: age, type of cask, which distillery (multiple choice, out of five provided), along with a field to write notes.
Linkwood is a distillery I particularly like. Although I've only had a handful of their bottles, all from independent sources, and only reviewed two of those, I still count myself a fan of their distillate. It's both delicate and rich, with a distinct and flavorful character. Dating to 1821, the distillery stayed in the Brown family for quite some time before passing by share purchase to Innes Cameron, and then to Rodrick Mackenzie after WWII.
Currently, of course, it's owned by beverage titan Diageo, and is largely funneled into blends like Johnnie Walker and White Horse. Let's check out the official tasting notes:
After eight years in regular ex-bourbon wood we transferred this into an ex-peaty bourbon barrel. The nose combines limestone and chalk, hay barns and dusty shoe boxes; lime marmalade, satsumas and hibiscus tea; bacon and pancakes with maple syrup. Whispers of smoke appear on the palate – lemon bonbons in coal dust, liquorice laces, Tangfastics and apple crumble, oak tannins and plum sauce on crispy duck. The reduced nose – key lime pie, redcurrant jelly, peaches and rosewater; oaked chardonnay and iodine. The reduced palate remains a tongue twerker – fruit and peat in a merry dance – mojitos, crystallised orange, balsa wood, pickled ginger, wasabi and lime.
How curious! An extremely uncommon two year finish in a barrel that previously held highly peated whisky. Our host for the evening said that SMWS either doesn't know or won't disclose who made the heavily peated malt, so that's anyone's guess. Bottled at 61.2%, let's go a little hunting:
Nose: It smells like a very old Islay - that is, smoke and peat are present, but in such a faded way that it comes across as quite aged. Surprisingly in a ten year whisky, to say the least. It also recalls Highland Park a bit: floral peat (heather), soft smoke, a grassiness. A bit of chili pepper. Chalk or "minerality." A very faint savory quality.
With some water, it gets somewhat wacky: soup broth! No kidding.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full.
Palate: Pepper and flowers - what a mix! Dark edges of smoke. Something clearly industrial - OK, I'll go with "coal dust." Very faint fruit and oak entwined - dry yellow apples or pears. Jalapeno and leather. A very gentle, soft set of flavors - incredibly subtle - considering the rather chewy mouthfeel. Unusual. Earthy and industrial at its core. Water doesn't change the palate much, just adds that chalk note back in.
Finish: Chili pepper, smoke, and a flower bouquet.
Verdict: I was entranced by this. What a way to close the night - it's almost haunting in the ghostly flavors that slowly emerge from the glass one by one, some sweet, some savory, all touched by flowers and pepper. Quite a nice bottle. A strange one, but a good one.
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