Linkwood 18 Year (2002) Hunter Laing Hepburn’s Choice K&L Wines pick

Review by: The Muskox

Time to join my friends u/zSolaris and u/hypm in the Linkwood Gang! I’ve had nearly no Linkwood, despite my penchant for soft, floral whiskies. This one is a K&L Wines cask pick, bottled by Hunter Laing under their Hepburn’s Choice label (huh, I didn’t know Hepburn’s Choice had cask strength bottlings).

Distillery: Linkwood.

Bottler: Langside Distillers.

Region: Speyside.

ABV: 53.9%, cask strength.

Age: 18 years old. Distilled in 2002. Bottled in 2021.

Cask type: Refill Hogshead.

Color: White wine. No colour added, un-chillfiltered.

Nose: Kind of smells like white wine too! Though not particularly acidic. Gentle orchard fruit notes of peach, pear, and tangerine. Fresh linen drying in the sun. Lemon-lime candies. Marshmallows (untoasted) and vanilla. A slightly raw malty note. A bit of ethanol heat. Floral, nearly perfumy.

Palate: Thick texture. A burst of sweet-tart fruit on the arrival, then white flowers, rich vanilla, shortbread, citrus oils, and beach grass. Grassy on the development, though still sweet, then some fragrant dry oak. Slightly resinous, too. A little mineral.

Finish: Medium-short. Varnished oak. Grassy and strongly floral. More marshmallows, coconut, and fruit gummies. A hint of melon, pear, and clementines. Very slightly buttery.

Possible SMWS bottling name: “Breezy clothesline from the Newfoundland commercials”

Notes: If you’re Canadian, you know which commercials I’m talking about. Anyways. This is good, but not strong enough to get me to pay the membership fee to join the Linkwood Gang. I like the plushness and the sweet fruit. It reminds me a bit of some of the Daftmills I’ve had in terms of the softness/oiliness combo, but it’s not as complex or powerfully fruity. Just a bit soft and generic. That finish is quite short, too. I’ll have to look for more Linkwoods.

Final Score: 80.

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.

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