Independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail has released Private Collection from Linkwood Distillery 1956 – the second in a series of four ultra-rare single cask single malt whiskies
and thought to be the last 1950s cask from the distillery.
Cask 20, a first fill European Oak Sherry hogshead, was filled during the early days of 1956. The cask was stowed in Linkwood Distillery’s Warehouse No.5 until it was moved to our Elgin bond on 18th June 1968. Matured for a total of sixty years, the cask was emptied on the 22nd June 2016 and fifty-six decanters were carefully filled.
This was the last Linkwood cask from the 1950s in our inventory. Every detail is perfect: the craftsmanship of the specially-designed box, the elegance of the glassware, and the exquisite character of the precious, mature single malt whisky residing within.
Nose: Rich, warm, and sweet. It starts off very gently with soft mature alcohols being very obliging as you inhale them. Baked apple with raisins, sultanas, a drizzle of crème anglaise, and a side of toffee sauce develop into a heady fruitcake. With time, notes of a dark chocolate and orange tart come to the fore. And then, a touch of honey, a wild dark honey, that ripens into maple syrup. Further patience is rewarded with aromas of dates and figs.
Palate: Initially charming and gently coating the mouth. The longer you hold it, however, the warmer it becomes. It is full-bodied, as expected from Linkwood, with good acidity that makes you salivate for more. It is sweet: the dark wild honey is now drizzled over warm apple strudel. Flavours of fruitcake entertain the taste buds. The mid-palate is equally gentle, but now there is more – the dark chocolate orange tart is back on the menu!
Finish: Long. Dried fruit, oak with a touch of candle wax, followed by soot and the scent of an extinguished candle.
The whisky comes with packaging inspired by the landscape surrounding the Linkwood Distillery, with contours etched into the gold base and stopper of each decanter.
Just 53 decanters of the 60-Year-Old single malt whisky have been released for sale worldwide with a UK RRP of £22,000 (US$30,850). It is accompanied by a commemorative book written by whisky author Jonny McCormick.