Linkwood 10yo Signatory
2012 Un-chillfiltered Series | 46% ABV
Score: 3/10
Disappointing.
TL;DR
A rare slip up from a trusted bottler; it is possible to mess up Linkwood
Bottle Kills.
Sometimes it can get sentimental, emotional even. If it’s a bottle that we’ve savoured for years and it’s unlikely that we’ll come across another one of the same; taking those last sips comes with hesitation - knowing that the goodbye is a permanent one. That will definitely be my emotions when I part ways with my beloved 28 year old Linkwood (that’s a little lie actually, I have a back-up bottle).
Sometimes it can be rather routine, because we know the bottle can be easily replaced. We may even have a replacement ready on the shelf for uncorking. The farewell is temporary, like when we say bye to a friend, we generally don’t imagine it to be a final farewell, we will cross paths again. I’d imagine when I finish my bottle of Glencadam 15, it could be something like that. I may not immediately order a replacement, but I’d be fairly confident that when I’m in the mood, a bottle will be available for me out there.
Sometimes it can be a case of “thank you for your service”, but it’s probably not going to be replaced with much urgency, if at all. These are whiskies that may have been a good experience, or even opened our eyes, but our shelf space is limited, so the farewell is a firm handshake. If we cross paths again, so be it, but we’re not bothered with the possibility that the farewell is permanent. Such was the case with this Ardray Blended Scotch, I enjoyed it while I had it, but since I’ve rinsed it, my sights have been set elsewhere. Maybe I’d buy it again if I come across it at a better price, but my curiosity had been fulfilled.
Sometimes it can be a case of good riddance, such is the case with this awful Macallan. In fact, I didn’t even say a proper goodbye, I tipped the dregs into my infinity bottle with reluctance: reluctant because I feared that it might ruin my infinity bottle. I’d never touch it with a ten-foot pole again.
The bottle of today’s review lies somewhere in between “thank you for your service” and “good riddance”, as you could probably have deduced by my score. It’s from my beloved Linkwood distillery and it’s from a trusted bottler in Signatory Vintage, but I’ve never gotten along with it. Reasons will be clear in the review proper, but in case you were reading my generally positive reviews and felt that I’ve been really lucky with my purchases, I’d share an honest disappointment with you, before I bid farewell to it.
With the exception of a Rioja cask finished Linkwood, I’ve never had a disappointing Linkwood, let alone a bad one, as such I’ve often espoused my conclusion that Linkwood’s spirit is deceivingly robust that it can stand up to any cask - but this one is a glaring exception.
Sherry cask finished whiskies are commonplace in whisky and it doesn’t mean it has to drown out the whisky; look no further than this stunning one - also from Signatory Vintage. But I’m sure it’s down to careful cask management, it doesn’t take a genius to understand that any whisky sitting in a dominating cask for too long can end up with ‘over-oaking’, or left in an environment which can force the same; our friends from Israel or India can attest to that.
Before I complain further, let’s just head straight into the whisky.
Review
Linkwood 2012, 10yo, Signatory Vintage, The Unchill-filtered Collection, first-fill Oloroso sherry butt finish, distilled 27/04/2012, bottled 01/2023, casks 201 & 203, 46% ABV
£50-55 from memory (it was a while ago!)
Signatory Vintage has been a trusted source of independently bottled whisky to me as I’ve reviewed a few of them quite favourably, so when I confidently bought this bottle, I had high hopes. After all, its specs are promising, a good bottler, a distillery I adore, with no filtration nor added colour, bottled at 46%, the only risk I’m taking is its sherry finish, but previous experiences with Signatory have left me with confidence. I didn’t think it was a risky purchase at all.
Score: 3/10
Disappointing.
TL;DR
A rare slip up from a trusted bottler; it is possible to mess up Linkwood
Nose
Huge sherry overcoat, big sour note - but not particularly fruity. Instead the sour note manifests as slightly winey, sour red wine to be precise; I’m looking for the typical dried fruits notes in here, but I’m struggling, maybe there is a hint of figs, but the sherry overcoat has dominated the nose.
Palate
Still sour, and slightly bitter; reminds me of a dry red wine with all its tannins present. It’s mouth-watering due to its sourness, but it’s vinegar - not a very pleasant type of sourness; again, I’m looking for typical sherry notes. I can find a faint sour raisin note, but the vinegar note is too dominant. The finish? It’s not short, but it’s a lot of the same - vinegar all the way.
The Dregs
Obviously, I didn’t enjoy this bottle, and as someone who loves Linkwood and is fairly familiar with its distillate, I can sort of make sense of this whisky. I usually get varying extents of grapefruit from Linkwood and part of grapefruit is its bitter-sourness. But in this rendition of Linkwood, the sourness has been ramped up, and instead of the fruitiness, it’s turned into vinegar. You’ll notice that I haven’t mentioned a single citrus fruit in my tasting notes, I could have crowbarred in a lemon note or something, but to me it has been all vinegar.
This bottle doesn’t take away my love for Linkwood, nor does it diminish my trust in Signatory, but it serves as a lesson in casks - even though it’s unlikely that I’ll ever be in charge of a cask. Whether it was two faulty casks or simply poor cask management, the two sherry butts transformed the spirit from one that I tend to love, into something I find quite miserable. I’ve shared some of this bottle around, but it’s been mostly me drinking it, and the fact that it’s about to be killed is a testament to my insistence on giving a second, third, fourth chance; yet upon finishing the bottle, the disappointment has not diminished.
To the bottle: thank you for your service, because it’s been an education; but also good riddance, because I hope I never pay for an experience as disappointing as this one.
It may be hard to screw up a Linkwood, but sadly, it can be done.
Score: 3/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. MMc
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