Linkwood

linkwood-distillery

History The distillery was built in 1821 by Peter Brown with two stills, and started production in 1825 with a capacity of 4,500 litres per year. The distillery was operated by James Walker until Browns death in 1868, after which the distillery got under control of his son, William Brown. Between 1872 and 1873 William Brown, the son of Peter Brown designed and built a new distillery with help of architect Methven, replacing the old one on the same location. The new distillery had a capacity of 227,000 liters per year. After William Browns death, the Linkwood-Glenlivet company was created by Browns family in 1898 and brought to the stock exchange. The distillery was then further extended to a capacity of 454,000 liters per year. In 1902 Innes Cameron joined the Linkwood-Glenlivet company and became managing director of the Linkwood distillery until his death in 1932. By that time he was the largest shareholder of the company. The company was sold to Scottish Malt Distillers, which itself was bought by United Distillers.

After temporary closure between 1941 and 1945 as a result of barley shortage during the World War II, the distillery reopened in 1945 under Roderick Mackenzie, who led the distillery until 1963. Mackenzie who believed that all things in the distillery contributed to the final product. In 1962, Scottish Malt Distillers decided the distillery needed to be completely refurbished. Mackenzie oversaw the rebuilding of the distillery in his last year as general manager. The distillery was electrified, replacing the steam engine and water wheel that powered the distillery before, and all stills were replaced with exact replicas of the former stills. In 1971 the a second distillery was built alongside the first, which became known as Linkwood B, with steam heated stills. The stills of the first distillery were converted by heated by steam as well. With the build of Linkwood B the two distilleries reached its current combined capacity of 2.5 million liters per year. The distillery was mothballed between 1985 to 1990.

The Whiskyphiles tasting notes

Official Bottling
  • Linkwood12FF Linkwood 12 Years Old Flora and Fauna (2014) - Linkwood 12 Years Old Flora and Fauna (43%, OB, 2014) 43% ABV, £44 for 70cl Score: 83/100 What they say: Linkwood distillery stands on the River Lossie, close to Elgin in Speyside. […]
Independent Bottling
Cadenhead
  • linkwood-26-year-old-1989-single-cask-wm-cadenhead-whisky Linkwood 26 Years Old 1989 Single Cask (2020) - Linkwood 26 Years Old 1989 Single Cask Whisky Review: A simply superb sherried linkwood of excellent quality. A great balance between the softer and more floral spirit notes and the presumably refill sherry cask. 90/100
Douglas Laing
  • Linkwood 17 Years Old 1997 Old Particular (2015) - Linkwood 17 Years Old 1997 Old Particular (48.4%, Douglas Laing, Refill HH #10413, 401 Bottles, 2014) Single malt scotch whisky 48.4% ABV Score: 85/100 What they say: A 17 year old expression […]
Elixir Distillers
Gordon & MacPhail
  • Linkwood1972SC Linkwood 1972 Speyside Collection (2017) - Linkwood 1972 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail, 1st Fill Sherry HH #14796, 277 Bottles, 2013) Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky Origin: Linkwood Distillery Bottling: Gordon & MacPhail, Speyside Collection ABV: 43% Cost: […]
  • linkwood-25-year-old-gm Linkwood 25 Years Old Distillery Labels (2017) - Linkwood 25 Years Old Distillery labels (43%, Gordon & MacPhail, 2015) Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky Origin: Linkwood Distillery Bottling: Gordon & MacPhail; Distillery Labels collection ABV: 43% Cost: £106.87 What […]
Hunter Laing
  • linkwood-18-year-old-1997-cask-11565-old-malt-cask-hunter-laing-whisky Linkwood 18 Years Old 1997 Old Malt Cask (2020) - Linkwood 18 Years Old 1997 Old Malt Cask Whisky Review: Still fairly basic with much spirit lead flavour akin to the 10 year old, some deeper flavours in here thanks to longer maturation but I'm still not loving this one. 82/100
Langside
  • linkwood-18-year-old-1997-distillers-art-langside-whisky Linkwood 18 Years Old 1997 Distiller’s Art (2019) - Linkwood 18 Years Old 1997 Distiller's Art whisky review: Bursting with fresh fruit, reminded me a little of caramel apple granny or apple cakes then plenty of citurs zest and some oak wood adds a little depth to this really rather good Linkwood. 84/100
Scotch malt Whisky Society
  • SMWS 39.95 Caressing, warm and friendly (2014) - Linkwood 9 Years Old 2004 39.95 Caressing, warm and friendly (61.2%, SMWS, Refill Bourbon Barrel, 221 Bottles, 2014) 61.2% ABV, £44 for 70cl Score: 85/100 What they say: Cask No. 39.95 The […]
  • SMWS 39.99 Springtime in Andalucia (2015) - Linkwood 23 Years Old 1990 39.99 Springtime in Andalucia (58.9%, SMWS, Refill Bourbon HH, 222 Bottles, 2014) Single malt scotch whisky 58.9% ABV, £85.40 for 70cl Score: 89/100 What they say: ‘What […]
That Boutique-Y Whisky Company
  • linkwood-that-boutiquey-whisky-company-whisky Linkwood 10 Years Old Batch 7 (2020) - Linkwood 10 Years Old Batch 7 Whisky Review: Very lemony with an odd salinity and minerality. Under-active casks? Sour spicy and spirity, not for me. 77/100
The Whisky Exchange
  • ChristmasMalt2019-1 Linkwood 10 Years Old A Fine Christmas Malt 2019 (2019) - A Fine Christmas Malt 2019 whisky review: Hard to fault Billy's tasting notes which describe this one perfectly. This whisky is full of fairground or sweetie shop or possibly even Christmas market flavours such as classic donuts, nut brittle and barley sugars. I was hoping perhaps for a wee bit more sherry influence to tip it into Christmas cake or pudding territory but this is a fine quaffable malt all the same. 84/100
  • Linkwood 16 Years Old Sherry Cask (2014) - Linkwood 16 Years Old – Sherry Cask TWE Retro Label ~ 48% (The Whisky Exchange) 48% ABV, £64.95 Score: 86/100 What they say: A rich and sherried whisky from Linkwood, released at 16 […]
Whisky Broker
  • Linkwood 24 Years Old 1990 Single Cask 3540 (2014) - Linkwood 24 Years Old ~ 51.7% (Whiskybroker) 51.7% ABV, £58 Score: 87/100 What they say: 24 year old Linkwood, 70cl, 51.7% vol. Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled by whiskybroker.co.uk. A special […]