Gordon & Macphail has been a licensed bottler for Linkwood for decades and continues to be. This 15 Year Old is always available. I am trying a recent bottling from 2017, so this is a distillate from the new millennium.
Very sweet and extremely fruity nose on apricots, juicy peaches and even crushed banana, but slowly it turns candied. Turkish Delight! That then continues into some more dark variants like figs and dades. Finally, it turns somewhat umami. Cooked ham and marzipan. A weirdo combo, admitted, but what a fun nose indeed!
The body is fine, nicely oily and round, while the taste goes towards dark fruits and nuts from the beginning. Lovely hints of chocolate and chewing tobacco. Beef jerky, if you are familiar with it, but then in liquid form and drenched in honey. Very succulent but at the same time somewhat musty. It gives this malt quite some charm.
The oak gives it a very dry death in the medium long finish.
Yes, this is the better standard of Linkwood. Recommended!
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