...where distraction is the main attraction.

Monday, March 4, 2019

Linkwood 16 year old 1995 Signatory, cask 648

I realized while filming this month's Killing Whisky History episode I've posted very few Linkwood reviews so...


Just kidding. It's more like Linkwood Week and a Half. There are three of these critters this week, one from each of Signatory's ranges. First up is a 1995 single cask from Signatory's Vintage 43%abv line. Thank you to Jordan of Chemistry of the Cocktail for the sample!

Distillery: Linkwood
Owner: Diageo
Region: Speyside (Lossie)
Independent Bottler: Signatory
Age: 16 years (30 January 1995 - 8 August 2011)
Maturation: Hogshead
Cask#: 648
Alcohol by Volume: 43%

The nose starts off with toasted grains and a mild cheddar note (likely from the yeast). Then comes lemon and baked pear, with hints of vanilla, metal and mushrooms. A pretty floral new make note appears after 30 minutes. There's something old school blendy about the palate. It's slightly salty and savory, with small notes of honey and metal. Tangerines and pears, then an aromatic note that's somewhere between flower blossoms and flower kiss candy. The finish has a good warmth and length to it considering its alcohol content. Honey and tart citrus, a balance of salt and sweet, then a whiff of coal smoke.

This Linkwood was what was expecting to find (without success) in those Glenfiddichs last month, with its pears and citrus along with a balance of sugar and salt, though the spirit provides a bit of an edge that 'Fiddich's blenders would never allow in their mega batches. The Linkwood comes across younger than its age, due to a casual cask, but it never feels raw. It seems like it might just blend well, so I saved a few mLs for one of my terrifying mini vattings. I'll report back on it in a couple weeks.

Availability - ???
Pricing - it was around $70 back in the day
Rating - 84


  1. My first impression was that it perfectly aligned with some of the notes I had found in JW Green, which makes a lot of sense. It makes a great bridge between lighter Speyside malts and heavier peated malts.

  2. I had very few Linkwoods, but all of them had a special, distinct profile: "old school blendy" and "JW Green" really describes it - probably that's why it's the lynchpin of that product.