Scotch Whisky Review #501: Linkwood 15 Year (2007) Cadenhead’s

Distillery: Linkwood.

Bottler: Cadenhead’s.

Region: Speyside.

Age: 15 Year. Distilled in 2007 and bottled in 2022.

ABV: 43.2%. Cask Strength.

Cask Type: Ex-Bourbon Hogshead.

Price: Courtesy of /u/dustbunna.

Color: 0.8, Deep Gold.

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 “VI (Six) Goose-a-Laying”.

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Nose: The nose is very familiar to me. You get some grass, slightly underripe apple, and a bit of vanilla.

Palate: A lot of fruity candies. It is like shoving a handful of jolly ranchers or gummy bears/worms into your mouth. It’s light and fruity.

Finish: Medium to short in length. There’s more of the fruit candies along with a bit of malt.

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Guess: The nose leads me to think of one distillery, the rest of it though doesn’t remind me of that distillery at all. I’m going to guess: Scotch, Malt, Highland, Brackla, 10-14 years of age, 46-50% ABV, Ex-Bourbon.

Reveal Linkwood 15 Year Cadenhead’s 2007/2022 ex-Bourbon Hogshead Cask Strength (43.2%).

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Conclusion: I really wanted to go flip a table after revealing this one. The nose was very much on point with what I associate with Linkwood with the grass and apple notes. The palate and finish being very fruity candy in nature really threw me for a loop as those are not notes I’ve really associated with any distillery, though I’ve had an Auchroisk that was similar. I’m a little surprised at how low the cask strength ABV is, the angels have really had their way with this cask it seems. Ultimately this is a simple yet really fun and tasty dram.

Rating: 81.

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Scotch Whisky Review #501, Speyside Review #177, Whisky Network Review #666

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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.