Review by: Maltrunners
This is a store exclusive selected by Hongniang Wine and Spirits (HNWS), a fantastic shop in Taiwan. Bottled by Meadowside Blending under The Maltman label. Didn’t get to try this particular one, but sampled a couple of other store picks on a visit there (thanks, Tony!). That inspired some trust in the owner’s palate, and as I hadn’t tried a Linkwood this old, I decided to go for it. Shared most of it out, and a few of us Maltrunners decided to make it our first group review. This will feature a summary of what we found, a group score, and our individual notes and scores for those who want all the details.
Distillery: Linkwood
Bottler: The Maltman (Meadowside Blending)
Region/style: Speyside single malt Scotch
ABV: 54.8%. Cask strength
Age: 24 years. Distilled in 1996. Bottled in 2021.
Cask type: Bourbon,#8712, probably a barrel at 195 bottles.
Color: 0.5 yellow gold. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Price: $220
The Group
Nose: The fruit was a common thread. We found apples, oranges, lemons (lemon candies in one case), kiwi, pears and apricots. For some, a more tropical touch with papaya. Vanilla was another one almost everyone pointed out. The woodiness was remarked on but perceived somewhat differently. Some of the descriptors there: incense, antiques, cedar, and good old oak. Some found the nose floral; others did not.
Palate: A couple of us remarked on the effervescent character. It’s of course not carbonated, but somehow tastes like it is. Fruit was again a common theme; fresh fruit for some and fruit candy for others. Apple, melon, pear, and citrus were noted. Again, for some it went tropical with mango and papaya. It also displayed a floral and grassy side and for some, a spice character with anise, clove, and paprika.
Finish: Apple, pear, and citrus (lemon, especially) were the most common notes. And oak. Some observed herbal and grassy flavors again. Dairy/pastry notes were also a common one: cream, butter, yogurt. Some found spices, but not everyone.
Conclusion: The fruit flavors stood out for all tasters, showing solid Linkwood character. Florals and cream were also up there. Then we began to diverge. The overall rating went from 81 to 90: everyone liked it, but some definitely liked it more, as the individual notes illustrate. For what it’s worth, Serge rated this 89, so he was one of the ones who really liked it. For me (Raygun), it was especially funny to see the differences in color perception, ranging from 0.2 to 1.1. Yet another reason not to put a lot of stock in that. Ideally we’d examine it in identical lighting conditions, but of course not possible.
Average Score: 85.8 (81-90)
Whiskery Turnip
Nose: Citrus and herbal tea, hints of jasmine, buttery pastries, orange, cream; mellow wood, paper, and antiques.
Palate: Medium-bodied and slightly oily, citrus, subtle florals, wood, hints of sandalwood, pepper, background notions of dried coconut and orchard fruits, more tea toward the end.
Finish: Medium-length and slightly drying with citrus, oak, and a kiss of pepper.
Conclusion: The aroma opened with an invitation to high tea— citrusy lemon slices, jasmine or breakfast tea, malty cinnamon scones, orange marmalade, and subtle clotted cream. Soft and mellow notes of an antique parlor with our high tea arrived with dust bunnies and linens joining woody antiques, lace doilies, and paper goods in the background. Medium-bodied and a touch oily, the flavor profile continued the scene as hints of floral lavender perfume accented bolder notes of lemon tea and orange marmalade. Wood was everywhere as the flavors filled out the image of the antique parlor with lacquered or polished oak, hints of sandalwood, old lace, and a kick of pepper. In the background, shyer notes of dried coconut and apple lingered with strong tea. The finish was medium-length and slightly drying with citrus, oak, and a kiss of pepper.
The antique and high tea vibes I typically find on Linkwood were on full display with this cask. The aroma had a beautiful complexity, while the palate featured bold notions of citrus and wood. A stark peppery quality popped at the end sometimes, though otherwise, the finish was mellow and mild— perhaps a touch short, to be honest. Overall, a lovely malt that felt well-suited to be used as a digestif or post-meal delight.
Final Score: 84
Raygun
Nose: Light and fruity, which is not unexpected from Linkwood. I get apple, peach, honeydew, and apricot. As well as a tropical touch with papaya. Has some old wood and vanilla.
Palate: Lots of fruit again. Peach, honeydew, very ripe papaya, and mango. More like mango pudding than fresh. With vanilla cream. Has an almost effervescent quality, like champagne. Or Sprite, but not as sweet. This mouthfeel is tripping me out. Can’t figure out where it’s coming from. The wood is there, but not overwhelming. Seems like a refill cask.
Finish: A somewhat buttery, pastry quality comes out here. Reminiscent of Taiwanese papaya cakes. Now a burst of lime and something floral. The fruit persists, as does the vanilla. Not overly sweet at all, but the fruit is front and center. Good length. Not too much oak.
Conclusion: I’m a sucker for a tropical whisky, so naturally this is right up my alley. Love all the fruit flavors and the mouthfeel is something else. Still can’t figure that out. Very fresh and summery to me, but not flabby. The wood balances it nicely. Don’t notice a lot of difference with water. Great with or without. Very pleased with this; best Linkwood I’ve tried.
Buy again? Split out most of this bottle with friends, so I didn’t end up with much for myself. Can’t say I’d mind having more. I’ve got a bit of a crush on this bottle.
Final Score: 88
Demi Tastes
Nose: Fruity: apple peels, kiwi. Marzipan. A bit of fancy chewing gum candy fruit flavor medley, with a light background of wintergreen mint. Just a whiff of distant incense smoke, mild chalkiness. Water reveals waxy, sooty candle smoke.
Palate: The texture is phenomenal: effervescent and like incense evaporating off the tongue. Well integrated ethanol with almost no burn for the high proof. A bit fleeting with a quick evolution which makes it hard to analyze. Smoke, which comes as a surprise because the nose almost didn’t reveal the presence of any smoke at all: not an earthy smoke, but a pleasant neutral candle smoke. Fruit-flavored candy, but a little non-descript: watermelon and green apple Jolly Rancher, with some other fruit candy flavors, strung together on that gentle smoky backbone. Marzipan, sweet almond pastry filling. Water reveals a waxy body to the whisky.
Finish: Long. Smoke comes across as candlewax and gentle soot. Develops a bit of bitterness, which reads at first as char but develops into fennel, and bright fruity flavors from the nose float on top and assert themselves from time to time — an overall impression of mukhwas. Green cardamom develops. Herbal bitterness lingers, but eventually gives way to a long finale of fruit flavors. Water cuts the bitterness, but also the smoke — the fruit from the nose dominates the finish, with gentle spices in the background.
Conclusion: This Linkwood has a lovely, sweet, fruity bouquet which is amazing to sit with and nose for a long time — which is almost unfortunate because the true balance of this dram is revealed on the palate, which surprises with an awesome texture and unexpected but beautiful smoke which lends a nice body to the whisky and integrates the fruity flavors nicely on the palate, leading you to drain the glass far too quickly. At first I felt the finish was a little too bitter and disjointed, but it resolves nicely and integrates the greatest hits of the nose and palate for a long and pleasant finish. This is excellent, and happens to be a pretty solid fit for my preferences on texture, but I wish the nose were a bit more complex, the palate less fleeting, and the finish less bitter. It’s so close to being an absolutely phenomenal whisky. The addition of a few drops of water helped balance the drink, cutting the bitterness but also the complexity, so I’m happy to enjoy this at cask strength, only adding water later when the time is right.
Buy a bottle? 3/5 value: Sure, but $220 is a bit of a tough call.
Final Score: 89/100 – Excellent, a standout dram.
TOModera
Nose: Cloves, poached pears, cedar box, vanilla
Good spice, love the vanilla that comes out, and the pear note is very sweet. Might turn some less sweet tooth people (aka not murderous clowns).
Taste: Vanilla/oak, anise, pear, papaya, cloves, hay
Almost too much oak. Grassiness comes with time/water, and there’s a lot of spice. I like the anise, but I recently found out others do not like it as much as me. Their loss I guess.
Finish: Vanilla pudding, cinnamon, cloves, caramel, dandelion, pear
Big hit of vanilla balances out the sheet amount of spice at the end. Water really benefits this and leads to additional complexity.
Conclusion: Very spicy. I think this is almost there, but there’s a bit too much spice and not enough “not pear”. Very grassy too. It feels like someone forgot one part of the recipe in a pear tart.
Final Score: 83
Rye Am Legend
Nose: Right off the nose, there’s this fragrant white wine aroma. Wine esters and soft oak tannins build in the glass with much of those fruits empowering themselves. White grapes, sultanas, and apricots. Light floral honey with a delicate fresh-cut grass scent, edible flowers, and pollen. It’s springtime in a glass. As time went on the oak became more noticeable and reminiscent of a garden center greenhouse. Wet tobacco leaf and sweet burnt sugary aromas. At times I felt like the nose leaned tropical with some dried papaya and charred pineapple even. An enticing nose that lures you in.
Palate: The fruit comes through loudly on your palate with all of those tropical notes landing soundly. Lychee, mango, musk melon, and pineapple. A more distinct tobacco note emerges along with the oak tannins. It’s not dry thanks to the fruit-forward malt but it brings a nice balance to the glass. A floral clover honey character I’ve also found in other Linkwood bottles. Expected baking spices with an herbaceous slant. Star anise, peppercorn, smoked paprika, toasted cloves, cinnamon. Earthy root veg and nuts like a black walnut Nocino. Water accentuates the sweet flavors and brings out a spiced apple cider quality.
Finish: Oaky finish with remnants still of those fruity flavors. More of a pear juice flavor now with a honeycomb and sharp greek yogurt flavor. Oddly, the finish is where I’m drawing the most flavor from the grains. Distinguishable among the other flavors and a distinct character of the malt. Honeyed, ‘healthy’ wheat cereal pieces. Overnight oats with apples and cinnamon. Breakfast-like character along with those tart lactic notes. After 24 years, the oak is well integrated into the spirit. A few drops of water help lift some of those tannic wood notes that carry some of the more grassy elements.
Conclusion: I am kind of in love with this whisky. The more bold, youthful Linkwoods that I’ve had previously were fantastic bottles but this is elevated to another level. The fruit is so enticing and forms a wide swath of flavor profiles from delicate pear juice to a rich oatmeal raisin cookie.
From nose to finish, I have nothing to complain about. Time has softened and homogenized the flavors and my experience has been phenomenal. If I had to nitpick about anything here it’s maybe a touch light on the malt, at least so on the palate. Thankfully the finish completely rectifies that mild complaint.
I hate that I’m glowing so much about this but it just shows that something that is over two decades old can still bring a balanced flavor profile that is very reminiscent of the distillery. I am so glad that I got to be able to taste this and I will be buying an older Linkwood for my own shelf in the future. If not this cask, another one similar to it.
Final Score: 90
zSolaris
Nose: Bit on the lighter side of things. Plain white sugar is what stands out the most. Lemon hard candies come to mind as well, but that might just be because the wife has so many hanging around the house.
Palate: Very drinkable at full bore. Lemon curd and malt biscuit. With some water, you get more of the lemon at first. A little more time brings out other fruits, namely green apples and some pears. You also get some notes of fresh cut grass and a bit of hay. Funnily enough, the more water I had the more intense the flavors seem to get.
Finish: Medium in length. Lemongrass. Bit more of the malt biscuit. A little bit of tannic oak in the back. A little bit of cream as well. Pretty straightforward. Tasty enough but nothing really special.
Final Score: 81
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.
Malt Runners 