Linkwood is part of the Diageo empire. Together with the surrounding distilleries in West Speyside, it holds an annual competition for spirit yield efficiency (litres of spirit per ton of malt), and Linkwood regularly wins it, together with Glen Elgin.

Although most of the production goes to Johnnie Walker and White Horse, independent single malt bottlings are fairly common as well. This 36 years old Linkwood 1973 was bottled for the 10th Anniversary of The Whisky Exchange in 2009.

Linkwood 36 yo 1973 (49,7%, The Whisky Exchange 10th Anniversary 2009, bourbon cask)

Nose: a delicious old Speysider, vibrant and utterly fruity. A vanilla infused fruit salad with ripe banana, some mango, dried apricots, papaya… Hints of good piña colada. A little polished oak. Pancakes (VIPS tortitas anyone?). Faint tobacco leafs and spices in the background. Really outstanding. Mouth: fruity again, some pineapple, orange and apricot but less abounding in vitality than on the nose. A more spicy kick with ginger, cinnamon and soft pepper. Oaky in a good way, giving it a lot of depth but not the dryness. Finish: long, growing more tannic and resinous now, although the fruitiness seems to go on and on.

Clearly the best Linkwood I’ve had so far. A stunning nose and overall on par with the lovely Clynelish TWE 10th Anniversary, although that one still has a slight edge in complexity for me. Around € 170, still available from TWE.

Score: 92/100