Whisky: Linkwood 22 Year (1972) Rare Malts

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 59.3%

Cask: Oak

Age: 22 Years (Distilled 1972, Bottled 1995)

Nose: Musty grass and stone, citrus rind, herbal, old wood, textiles, orchard fruits, hints of tobacco and sourness.

Palate: Medium-bodied, slightly waxy, old wood, hessian, herbal, musty hay, honey, fermentation, beeswax, grungy and musty, hints of tobacco and tar, more orchard fruits and herbs at the end.

Finish: Long with herbal tea, honey, oak, and a touch of pepper.

Score: 8 (88)

Mental Image: Cocktails in the Castle

Narrative & Notes: Musty grass and old cobble stones appeared with cured citrus rind and an herbal liqueur— like sipping on a thyme and thistle tonic to balance the humors. Traipsing through an old castle town with weathered wood, sisal twine, sour apples, hints of tobacco, and a citrusy vinegar; all very evocative of cocktail hour in an old abbey garden. Medium-bodied and a touch waxy with loads of antique wooden furniture, sisal or hessian, and dank aromatic herbs. Dry musty hay and fermenting honey— a basement mead operation— lingered with a beeswax quality over mossy stones. Dirty, almost grungy, with hints of tar and tobacco alongside tart orchard fruits and herbal tonics. The finish was long and lingered with herbal tea, honey, oak, and a touch of pepper.

This was loud and loaded with big, unusual notes and a deliciously waxy mouthfeel. Despite the older vintage, I found a lot in common with more modern Linkwood— from those hessian, sisal, or dry grassy notes, the wooden antiques, and subtle orchard fruits.  It was all very familiar, yet grungier or danker somehow with a bit of old basement, fermentation, and mossy stone. Those notes reminded me a lot of traveling through old castle towns and the aroma of some not-well-ventilated rooms.

It was all very old-fashioned, especially the musty, slightly medicinal, herbal quality toward the end.  I enjoyed it, though it was a touch peppery and spirited at times— many of these older rare malts advised you to add water, which was not a bad idea for bringing balance to the whisky and thickening the mouthfeel.

Overall, delightfully old-fashioned.