So this, in a way, is a weird one.
I know that the cask was transported out of Scotland and into/onto Terschelling, one of the Dutch islands in the north of the country. It was recasked there in a rum barrel for another 10 months before being bottled.
This should raise all kinds of alarms, since it’s no longer a Scotch Whisky. Then again, apart from mentioning the distillery, King Cask never says it’s a scotch whisky. I don’t even think they mention it being whisky or single malt at all. Clever.
King Cask is a Dutch bottler that is quickly gaining momentum. So far, I’ve tried two of their whiskies and a bottle of rum should be on its way. The whiskies are very good (yes, including this one), but not 90+ points stuff. However, where they gain a lot of fans is that their prices are rather acceptable.
This bottle sold/sells for around € 65 if you can still find it, which is rather cheap for an 11 year old Linkwood.
Sniff:
There’s a sweet edge to the normally quite ‘beery’ Linkwood. It’s quite dry and malty with lots of barley driven scents, and a whiff of green herbaceousness. Hints of brown sugar after a minute of air.
Sip:
The palate is consistent with the nose. Lots of barley, a whiff of oak, and quite a sweet edge to it. The brown sugar sweetness doesn’t overpower the whisky, luckily. Some molasses, green herbs, old hops, sugarcane, grass.
Swallow:
The finish brings some more attention to the rum with more molasses, some cola and a dryness that’s quite sugarcane-like. Also the old hops and barley driven beer flavor lingers.
This is a very Linkwood-y Linkwood. A lot of recognizable flavors, with a rum edge to it. I think the combination of the distillery profile with a not too powerful finish works really well for this whisky.
88/100
Malt Fascination 