When Gordon & MacPhail refreshed its Distillery Labels range a few years ago, one of the more welcome changes was the decision to bottle selected expressions at 46% ABV without chill filtration. Linkwood, with its delicate orchard-fruit character, benefits noticeably from the extra weight and the retention of texture that non-chill filtered bottling preserves.
This 18 Year Old slots between the long-standing 15 and the older 21 in the G&M Linkwood line-up, and it is probably the most useful of the three for drinkers who want a clearer picture of what the distillery actually tastes like. The 43% bottlings are pleasant but can feel thin, particularly on the nose; at 46% the whisky has more to say, and the absence of chill filtration shows up in a slightly oilier mouthfeel.
Linkwood was founded in 1821 on the outskirts of Elgin, and for most of its existence has operated in near-anonymity — which is to say, as a blender's distillery first and a single malt second. Gordon & MacPhail, also based in Elgin, has effectively served as Linkwood's external shopfront, providing a steady supply of single cask and small-batch bottlings that have kept the distillery's reputation alive among enthusiasts.
The 18 is matured largely in refill American oak, which lets the spirit speak without drowning it in vanilla or sherry. Orchard fruit, honey, malt and a restrained spice from the wood are the order of the day. It is not a dram designed to impress at first sip, but for anyone who appreciates quieter Speysiders it repays patience — and at its price point represents some of the better value in G&M's Distillery Labels selection.
