SMWS 39.175 The chocolate and wine diet
Bottle Name: 39.175 The chocolate and wine diet
Distillery: Linkwood
Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Flavour Profile: Old & dignified
Region: Speyside Age: 29
A venerably aged Linkwood that has spent 26 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead and then was re-racked into a 1st fill PX hogshead for a decent length second maturation.
Nose: Well-polished mahogany and oiled teak panelling are joined by bright apricots, peaches, lychee and melon. Really vibrant fruity stuff, despite the near three decades of maturation. Coffee beans, crumbled chocolate and hazelnuts sit with an unusual vegetal/herbal note of tomato plant stalks, whilst apple turnovers are conjoined with raisins and marzipan. Dilution adds a dusty nuttiness with increased hazel and almonds alongside pancake batter.
Taste: The arrival is viscid and clings to the mouth. Fruit-forward with apricot, passionfruit and cherries, moving into polished wood tables and a deep hazel and cashew nuttiness. The mid-palate is more wood-driven with burnt toast and charred cask ends, before heading towards the sherry end of the spectrum with cocoa powder, chocolate nibs and dusty 70s orange liqueurs. Water adds an assortment of dried peels, mentholated oak and bitter dark chocolate.
Finish: Long, with dusty wood, nuttiness and fading white pepper.
This mature Linkwood wears its age exceedingly well with plenty of polish and lacquer sitting on a bed of vibrant and defined fruitiness. The PX integration feels both even-handed and relevant – adding in a characterful deep nuttiness that persists from nose through to finish. Expensive, but still recommended.
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