Review: Linkwood 37 Years Old Limited Edition 2016

Review: Linkwood 37 Years Old Limited Edition 2016

special-releases-2016-linkwood-37-yo

Diageo hasn’t put out a Special Release bottling of Speyside’s Linkwood in eight years (and only one other one before that), and for 2016 it’s got a doozy: 37 years old, distilled in 1978. The whisky was aged in a mix of refill American oak hogsheads and refill European oak sherry butts.

A clear standout of this series, this malt hits the ground running in perfect stride. A heady nose of rich malt, brown sugar, vanilla, baking spice, and butterscotch all melds together beautifully, its light sherry character batting at the edges of a bold, well-aged aroma. On the palate, the whisky is lighter than expected, though the rounded, caramel-soaked grains at its core can’t be missed. Beyond this sweet-and-savory entry come notes of orange peel, lemongrass, cloves, and a touch of sea spray. The finish echoes just a hint of clove oil, a lightly bitter companion to the complexities that have come before.

Linkwood is a perennially underrated distillery, and here it shows what significant age can do to elevate an already high-grade whisky.

100.6 proof. 750 bottles available in the U.S.

A / $900 / malts.com

Linkwood 37 Years Old Limited Edition 2016

$900
9.5

Rating

9.5/10

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