Another Oak Barrel favourite, this Linkwood was aged 10 years in an ex Oloroso hogshead. This Linkwood lays on the rich and chewy side of the spectrum, not exhibiting the grassy notes that some spirit from the distillery often shows. As such, NS went to town making this cask a fantastic, desserty dram.
Official Tasting Notes:
Nose: Strawberry & Dark Chocolate Sorbet
Palate: Rhubarb Crumble, Vanilla Custard & Fresh Morton’s Rolls
Finish: Chesterfield Leather & French Fancies
North Star have quickly become one of The Oak Barrel’s favourite independent bottlers. Exceptional cask selections at very reasonable prices, they are exciting, fun whiskies – even when they’re very serious – which are designed to be drunk and shared. Winner of Scottish Whisky Awards’ Best Independent Bottler of the Year the last two years running.
Linkwood is a favourite distillery of The Oak Barrel. Founded in 1821 in the town of Elgin in the region of Speyside, the distillery is currently one of Diageo’s workhorse sites – that is it produces whisky mainly for their blends. Long fermentation and gentle distillation gives the whisky from here an aromatic and grassy aroma, but a textural and oily palate. A whisky that can show lots of floral notes while young, but one that develops great complexity with age. As such, this is used in blends not as ‘bulk filler’ at the heart, but top-dressing icing to give the overall blend complexity and elegance. Rarely seen as a single malt officially, it is often excellent in the hands of independent bottlers.
