Scotch Whisky Review #486: Linkwood 13 Year (2008) Single Malts of Scotland Reserve Casks USA Exclusive

Distillery: Linkwood.

Bottler: Elixir Distillers.

Region: Speyside.

Age: 13 Years. Distilled in 2008. Bottled in 2021.

ABV: 48.0%.

Cask Type: Vatting of three ex-bourbon casks.

Color: 0.3, Pale Gold.

This is the 14th installment of this years’ Christmas Countdown. You can check out previous editions as well (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022).

This whisky was reviewed blind courtesy of /u/dustbunna

as part of a Twelve Fourteen Days of Christmas set. The note on this dram was “IV (Four) Calling Birds”.

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Nose: This is really loud and fruity. Yellow melon (canary? hami?) is the prominent fruit. There is some starfruit along with mixed starburst as well. Some grapefruit pith wraps things up.

Palate: Oh its juicy and fruity but more of candy-fruity than fresh fruit. Juicy Fruit bubblegum and Starburst are what come to mind first. I’m picturing the pink and yellow Starburst pieces. There’s something that reminds me a lot of the white mystery Airhead as well, my favorite growing up. Letting it sit for a little longer, pink lemonade comes out with a bit of malt as well as something grassy. It doesn’t need any water but adding a drop of water sends things in a more citrus-y direction adding in some yuzu to the mix.

Finish: Medium in length. There’s a bit of chrysanthemum tea and a bit of hay.

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Guess: Scotland. Malt. Highland. Upper teens for age, 17 is where I’ll pin it. Distillery I’m unsure of but I’ll go with Glen Ord. 46-50% ABV. Ex-Bourbon cask.

Reveal: Linkwood 13 Year (2008) Single Malts of Scotland Reserve Casks USA Exclusive.

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Conclusion: The moment I peeled back the label on this one, I spammed /u/dustbunna with a bunch of shocked Pikachu emoticons

. How is this Linkwood so good? From start to finish, it is just bursting with flavor. The nose is super loud with the melon, starfruit, and grapefruit notes. The palate kicks things up another notch with all of the fruity candy notes. The finish gives a wonderfully clean end that just makes you want to dive in for another sip. When I came across the malty, grassy, and hay notes, Linkwood did cross my mind but the intense variety of fruit notes led me elsewhere. Fantastic whisky and one I really wish I had at least one bottle of, if not more.

Rating: 90.

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Scotch Whisky Review #486, Speyside Review #172, Whisky Network Review #650

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.