Linkwood 1956 Private Collection

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 49.4%

Special Features:

This Linkwood matured for sixty years in a single first-fill European oak Sherry Hogshead. The whisky was distilled on 3 January 1956. Cask number 20 was filled in early 1956 and initially stored in Warehouse No. 5 at Linkwood Distillery. On 18 June 1968, it was transferred to Gordon & MacPhail’s warehouse in Elgin, where the whisky spent the remainder of its maturation.

On 22 June 2016, Gordon & MacPhail bottled the whisky for the Private Collection at its natural cask strength of 49.4%, producing 56 decanters. It was the bottler’s last remaining Linkwood cask from the 1950s. The 0.7-litre decanter is presented in a specially designed wooden box, with gold-coloured details and a curved silhouette defining the presentation.

In the glass, the whisky displays chestnut-brown and mahogany hues. A few drops of water bring the oak further forward on both the nose and palate. The sweetness then recalls toffee with dark sugar syrup. The full, mouth-coating texture remains, with nutty tannins and toasted malt complementing the oak, while subtle leather notes join dark chocolate and toffee.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose is warm and sweet, with the alcohol initially remaining gently integrated. Baked apple, raisins and sultanas combine with custard and toffee sauce to create a rich fruitcake aroma. With time, dark chocolate and orange tart emerges. A hint of dark honey then develops towards maple syrup, with dates and figs appearing as it rests longer.
• Palate: The whisky opens gently on the palate, coating the mouth smoothly. Its warmth becomes more apparent the longer it remains there. It is full-bodied, with a lively acidity balancing the sweetness. Dark honey and warm apple strudel meet fruitcake. The mid-palate remains gentle as the dark chocolate-orange tart reappears.
• Finish: The long finish reveals dried fruit and oak with a hint of candle wax. Sooty notes follow, along with a delicate smokiness reminiscent of a candle that has just been extinguished.

Distillery/Bottler:

Linkwood lies on the outskirts of Elgin in Speyside. Peter Brown founded the distillery in 1821, and production began four years later. The 1956 vintage was distilled during the tenure of distillery manager Roderick MacKenzie, who led Linkwood from 1945 to 1963 and largely preserved its established practices. It was not until 1962 that he oversaw a refurbishment. The relationship between Linkwood and Gordon & MacPhail spans more than a century.

Gordon & MacPhail was founded in Elgin in 1895 by James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail as a grocery business. John Urquhart expanded the business by selecting, purchasing and maturing whiskies from nearby distilleries. Together with his son George, he further developed the careful matching of spirit to oak cask and allowed selected stocks to mature for decades. For the Private Collection, the directors, including members of the Urquhart family, select exceptional casks. For this Linkwood, Gordon & MacPhail was responsible for the long cask maturation and bottling, while the spirit was produced at Linkwood Distillery.

Facts: