Somehow we hadn’t reviewed all of the Whisky Agency releases that were presented at the latest Whisky Fair (you may remember our first session and later a second one with Port matured whiskies). We’ll look into them now, starting with a 33 year-old Linkwood.
Linkwood 33 yo 1990 (49,7%, The Whisky Agency 15th Anniversary 2024, hogshead)
Nose: complex. Lots of tiny notes: honey for sure, almonds, quinces and yellow apples, beeswax, faint whiffs of potpourri. Also rapeseed oil, chamomile and Mediterranean herbs. Then natural vanilla, fine oak and a hint of mint leaves. Superb elegance.
Mouth: quite oily with a beautiful waxiness, along with gentle resins, more quinces and mead, along with some (cider) apple. Plenty of herbal notes again, as well as herbal tea, honey, some sour berries and heather. Minor hints of raisins, along with hints of aniseed and orange peels.
Finish: medium length. More resinous notes come out, along with wood spice and a subtle bitterness. Still a bit of apricot and minty echoes in the end.
A refined and complex whisky, never spectacular but a good example of this mature Speyside character, somewhat reminiscent of the 1970s.
Glen Moray 17 yo 2007 (50,9%, The Whisky Agency 2024, barrel)
Nose: very generous. Quite a lot of honey here as well, with vanilla, light banana, croissant and lots of golden apples or rather apple pie. Then a bit of tinned pineapple, but also walnuts, fresh laundry and subtle leafy notes.
Mouth: sweet and rounded. More honey and sweet citrus, pears, vanilla ice cream and stewed apples. Mid-palate some herbal notes appear, along with a subtle bitter edge of lemon peels, clove and grass.
Finish: medium to long, with a hint of lemon liqueur, greener fruits and some herbal touches.
The nose exceeded our expectations: a rather sexy profile with an after-dinner roundness. Then it gets greener and sharper on the palate, but it’s always fresh and natural. Score: 87/100
A Secret Highland distillery 13 yo 2010 (53,1%, The Whisky Agency for Harmony & ABA Whisky Bar, sherry hogshead #530548)
Nose: some typical waxiness and citrus, coupled to a really nice old-style sherry, with a firmly toasted feel to it. Old cellar, orange peels, plums, subtle cocoa dusting, fresh breads and hints of old coins. Hints of cigar boxes and red plums. Now the cask influence is nicely balanced, so it’s a great result.
Mouth: more orange and plum (semi-)sweetness, along with hints of exotic wood. Subtle caramelized notes, sweet herbs, roasted walnuts and a few mossy notes. Some umami notes, but also fruity hints and a nice leafiness.
Finish: quite long, with more leafy sweetness, drying tea and caramelized nuts.
While this name often refers to the famous distillery with the wild cat logo, it is not very recognizable as such. While that may be a disappointment to some, I love the cask influence on itself. Perfect autumnal character. I don’t think this was available here in Europe. Score: 89/100
Bruichladdich ‘Rhinns’ 12 yo 2011 (52,3%, The Whisky Agency 2024, hogshead)
Nose: wonderfully unique. Great farmy notes (stables), motor oil, bonfires, with smoked rosemary, roasted peanuts, drops of fish sauce. The peaty layer is deep and sooty, though not particularly strong. Moist tobacco, brown sugar, gingerbread, charred meat and subtle copper. Simply lovely.
Mouth: a very nice oiliness. More charred wood and rather dirty peat smoke, candied ginger and plenty of old leather. Then coastal salinity, sooty smoke and cedar. Dried fruit sweetness of figs and raisins, but also a berry sourness, more meaty touches and hints of grapes.
Finish: very long and warming, with lots of warm ashes, caramelized nuts, pepper and a gentle leafiness.
These Rhinns spirits are total belters. Big and boisterous, exceeding expectations for the age (by a big margin). Given the sweetness, this could be a VDN hogshead, perhaps? All in all, something you should try. Score: 90/100