Berry's Linkwood 2011 KWM Cask

Tasting Notes

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: soft, decadent, and fruity with fluffy-pillowy character I love to find in a Linkwood; chewy malt, spring flowers, and bright juicy fruits: layered with soft citrus, melons, and orchard fruits; a touch waxy with banana chips and dried apricot; white chocolate, marzipan, and marshmallow.

Palate: round, creamy, and decadent with chewy malt and loads of soft fruits; waxy citric Starburst Fruit candies, assorted Jelly Bellies, Quaker's Harvest Crunch with dried apple chunks and more; dried banana chips, poached pear with a hint of blue cheese, and toasted marshmallow; a touch of crystalized honey; increasingly drying and toasty, it somehow remains lush, with a touch of sweet spice.

Finish: warming, fresh, and fruity with fading spices, toasted oak, and subtle floral top notes.

Comment: this is a banging Linkwood, lush, fruity, and decadent, with an elegance well beyond its years; Linkwood is such a versatile whisky, taking well to both Bourbon and Sherry; it even shows well when young and naked from a Refill Hoggy; classic!

Producer Tasting Note

"A perfectly balance bouquet greets the nose with vanilla sponge, grated apple, honey, and spice, a classic example of fine Speyside malt. The palate shows a softer side with peaches and orange before a richer note of spiced honey cakes and citrus rolls in.The finish lingers showing vanilla pod, oak spice, and the merest whiff of oak smoke."

Independent Bottler

One of our favourite independent bottlers, Berry Bros. & Rudd is a stored London-based firm which has resided at #3 St. James Street, a stone's throw from St. James Palace, since 1698. Primarily a wine merchant, they have also played a prominent role in the Scotch whisky industry. In addition to founding the Cutty Sark Blend, and managing the Glenrothes brand for 30 years, BBR is also an independent bottler. We have long been impressed not only by the quality of their independent bottlings, but also their value! 

Berry Bros. & Rudd in Their Own Words

With two Royal Warrants and more than 300 years of history, Berry Bros. & Rudd is Britain’s original wine and spirits merchant. 

We can trace our history back to 1698, when an enterprising woman called the Widow Bourne started an “Italian grocer’s” at No.3 St James’s Street, selling tea, snuff, spices and the most fashionable drink of the day, coffee. The sign of the coffee mill still hangs outside our premises at No.3 today, in tribute to our roots.

In due course, our focus shifted to something a little bit stronger. As wine became important to the business, so too did spirits, and we started bottling casks under our label in the early 19th century, making us Britain’s oldest independent spirits bottler. Three centuries on, the family business continues to flourish, with its heart still very much at No.3.

While much has changed over the years, we are still owned and managed by members of the Berry and Rudd families, and we continue to supply the British Royal Family, as we have done since the reign of King George III. We still, from time to time, weigh customers on a giant set of coffee scales, a tradition which began in the 1760s, with Lord Byron, William Pitt and Beau Brummell among those who have had their weights recorded in our ledgers. Most importantly, we still believe that everything you should look for in a wine or spirit comes down to one simple question: “Is it good to drink?”