Berry Bros. & Rudd Linkwood 20yo...

Berry Bros. & Rudd Linkwood 20yo 1991/2011 (46.0%): A random pick from ever growing sample yard on my desk. It is a 20 year old Linkwood from Berry Bros. & Rudd distilled in 1991 and bottled in 2011 from the cask carrying the inventory number #10343. Linkwood is a Speyside distillery from Diageo's roster with a sizable capacity of 5.6 million liters with no official bottling except one Special Releases from 2016 and one 12 year old Flora & Fauna release.

Color: Very light for a 20 year old whisky. Riesling or unoaked Chardonnay with very impressive thick and slow legs.

Nose: Malty and sweet... Yellow grapefruits, peaches and lychees. Vanilla, green malt and fresh pineapple. More stone fruits: Nectarines, underripe plums and apricots. Very fruity and sweet... Great start...

Palate: More grassy, less fruity on the palate. Actually reminds me the golden era of Bladnoch bottlings from Raymond Armstrong years or older Rosebanks. In other words I am loving it... Cereals, crystalized ginger and fresh cut grass. Pine nuts and oatmeal cookies. Creamy and viscous: Mexican flan, vanilla pudding and cream pies.

Finish: Kinda on the shorter side but white pepper lingers long enough after ginger candies and panna cotta fades out.

Overall: Well, it is not a secret that I have a huge soft spot for patiently aged second or third fill ex-bourbon cask matured whiskies and this is such a fantastic example for that style. It is subtle, not over-oaked by any means and full of creamy, fruity and malty notes. Again it noses and tastes like a Lowlander and I am loving it. Solid release... Thanks to Florin for the sample...

Price: $110

90/100