Linkwood 2008/2023 - 14 yo - First Fill Chateau Margaux Cask Finish - Murray McDavid

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 55.3% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

An extended red wine finish shapes this Linkwood: the single malt spent three and a half years of its fourteen-year maturation in a First Fill Margaux barrique. This additional maturation complements the distillery’s light, floral character with dark berries, red fruit and gentle tannins. Creamy malt, ripe fruit, pastry and nuts mingle with subtle spice.

The whisky was distilled in 2008 and bottled by Murray McDavid in 2023 for its Benchmark series. Cask 1907246 yielded 302 bottles of this single-cask edition, originally selected for the German market. Bottled at 55.3%, the whisky contains no added colouring and is non-chill-filtered. The 0.7-litre bottle comes in gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose combines fresh currants and cherries with creamy malt notes. Darjeeling tea adds a floral accent, while gentle tannins contribute a slightly astringent nuance.
• Palate: The whisky is full-bodied on the palate. Juicy apple and nectarine notes accompany impressions of strawberry cake and nuts. There are also notes of sweet spice and toasted barley malt, along with a trace of liquorice.
• Finish: Damsons and oak spice remain present in the long finish. Floral notes are accompanied by accents of black pepper and a subtle beeswax note.

Distillery/Bottler:

Linkwood stands on the outskirts of Elgin in Speyside. Peter Brown founded the distillery in 1821, and production began four years later. A major expansion took place in 1971, when a second distillery with four stills was built alongside the original facility. The two sites were known as Linkwood A and Linkwood B. The older facility ceased regular production in 1985. Much of Linkwood’s malt whisky is used in Diageo blends, while independent bottlers also make it available as a single malt.

Murray McDavid was founded in 1994 by wine merchants Mark Reynier and Simon Coughlin, together with Gordon Wright of Springbank. Its connections to the wine trade shaped its use of former wine casks from an early stage. Today, Coleburn in Speyside is the independent bottler’s home. The Whisky Creations Team assesses the structure of selected spirits and seeks suitable casks to match them. For further maturation, Murray McDavid sources freshly emptied casks from wine and spirits producers; during storage, the team monitors how the spirit and cask develop. Cask selection and maturation time lie at the heart of this approach.

Facts: