Scotch Whisky Review #134: Linkwood 12 Year Flora & Fauna

Distillery: Linkwood

Region: Speyside

Price: £55.50 before VAT refund, purchased in Edinburgh in September 2019

ABV: 43%

Age: 12 year

Color: 0.3, Pale Gold.

This is the thirteenth in my Countdown to Christmas series where I’ll be posting a review a day until Christmas. You can find the entire series here.

Nose: (according to the wife) There’s something a little floral and slightly bitter, perhaps heather?, along with a lot of green apples, a bit of lemon, and a hint of honey.

Palate: It starts off a little malt forward but as you let it sit in your mouth, some floral and fruity notes come out. The floral notes remind me most of heather, very fragrant and refreshing. The fruit expresses itself as a very crisp and fresh green apple along with a bit of lemon zest. Towards the back end, there’s a bit of vanilla frosting.

Finish: Surprisingly long. This dram leaves a slightly oily/creamy film on your tongue that goes forever. There’s some star anise and heather along with honey and more green apple.

Conclusion: Every time I’ve had a Linkwood, I have the exact same thought. It is an absolute shame that nearly all of the fine whisky produced there gets dumped into blends. This time was no different. The 12 year old is the only official bottling that comes from this Speyside giant but it is an absolute treat to have. It showcases the lovely, incredibly fruit forward, delight of a whisky that they can make. The heather notes throughout compliment the apple and the bit of sweetness from honey and vanilla frosting really bring this all together. My one nitpick with this is that there are a few moments every few sips where it gets a tad hot. A few more years in the barrel to take that away would make this dram absolutely phenomenal. But as it stands, it’s very good. Would I buy another bottle? Absolutely.

Final Score: 83.

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Scotch Whisky review #22, Speyside Review #53, Whisky Network Review #179

Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.