Linkwood 15-year-old 100 Proof (G&M)

Bought: Online Whisky Auction, 20^th May 2015

Ratings:
87.43/100 – Whiskybase (average from 9 member votes)
86/100 – Malt Maniacs (average from 5 member votes)

Sometimes you get lucky at an auction. I thought I was bidding on the 40% version of this old Linkwood 15yo by Gordon & MacPhail (G&M). When the package arrived in the post I discovered it was the 57% version (100 Proof). The auction house forgot to include this in the description, which explains why I got it for so little (£3.25). A full 75cl bottle sold at auction 3 months earlier for £125. A 5cl share of that bottle equates to £8.33. I was a happy man, even without a drink in my hand!

According to Malt Maniacs this version of Linkwood was first produced by G&M in c.1988. At this point my brain always subtracts the age of the whisky, so my dram could have been distilled as early as 1973. Although I’ve been unable to find any written reviews, both the scores on Whiskybase and Malt Maniacs suggest a quality whisky. I could put it back into an auction and double my money or drink it. Hmmm, I think a taster is too tempting!

Old Pulteney 8-year-old 100 Proof (57%)

Bought: Online Whisky Auction, 24th February 2015

Ratings:
88/100 – Whiskybase (average from 5 member votes)

Back in the 2006 edition of the Whisky Bible, the Gordon & MacPhail release of the Old Pulteney 8yo scored 85/100 but it hasn’t been mentioned in recent years (even though you can still purchase it online). That was the 40% version but I have the vintage (or ‘retro’) 57% from the 1980s. If I’d realised how well loved it was on Whiskybase (88/100 is a fantastic score) I would have attempted to get a bigger sample than a miniature! Aaaah, except a 70cl is quoted with a price of £237.60! My miniature was closer to the 60p than the £237.

The only written review on Whiskybase for this bottling summarises with “an intense Old Pulteney from the past” having said of the taste “hot and spicy (pepper). Oily and creamy. Fruity in particular oranges and tangerines. Slightly peaty ” For those of you familiar with Old Pulteney, there are some classic elements showing through in this potent blast from the past.

Although I have quite a few examples of Old Pulteney, this is my first experience of one over 50%. The Whiskybase rating has convinced me to add a ‘cask strength’ Old Pulteney to my wishlist. Is there one out there I wonder? The hunt is on….

Talisker 57 Degrees North

Bought – Whisky Galore (Green Welly Stop), 11^th March 2014

Ratings:
95/100 – Whisky Bible 2014
84/100 – Malt Maniacs (average from 10 reviews)

As a Talisker lover and a fan of cask strength whiskies, you’d think the 57 would be a match made in heaven. That’s what I thought, so I was desperate to purchase a bottle as soon as I could justify the cost. Thankfully Talisker produce a box set of 3 x 20cl which allows you to get the 10yo and Distiller’s Edition at the same time. Three different tastes for £45 seemed quite reasonable.

In the Whisky Bible 2014 the 57 gets a fantastic score of 95/100, with almost a perfect score for taste with 24.5/25. The 10yo, which I’m more used to drinking, gets 93/100. The Malt Maniacs score the 57 a good 84/100 but, interestingly, they give 85/100 for the 10yo. Clearly there’s not much in it.

When I tried the 57 I must admit I was disappointed. Having experienced the phenomenal quality of ‘cask strength’ with the Aberlour A’bunadh last year, I was expecting too much of the 57. The fact of the matter is, the 10yo Talisker is so good, it doesn’t need to be stronger to be better. The 57 is still a fantastic whisky but I didn’t get the same length of finish as I got with the A’bunadh. But, during the body of the tasting, the 57 has everything going for it that the 10yo version has. Those classic Talisker tones are delicious. All in all I’d say the 57 is worth trying, especially if you’re already a fan of the 10yo or Storm versions of Talisker.

Here’s Horst Luening with his thoughts on You Tube (November 2014):

Linkwood 100 Proof

Bought – Online Whisky Auction, 31st October 2013

Ratings:
84/100 – Malt Maniacs (from one reviewer – here)

What can I say, I’m a sucker for anything in a tartan box! And this is number 4 in my Linkwood collection. A no-age-statement miniature from the 1980s, it’s a strong one at 57%. Being a Gordon & MacPhail bottling I’m expecting it to be good quality, and the one review I found backs this assumption up with 84/100.