As a cask comes to maturity, Finn curates sampling sessions in interesting and relaxing environments, with friends, whisky experts and trusted partners to discover the personality of each cask and gauge the experience each dram evokes.
All the best distillers pride themselves on crafting whisky with a distinctive flavour, which is determined by the water source, grain and barley, the peat and malting, and their distilling processes. High quality original spirit is integral to every cask we bottle.
The cask itself interacts with the whisky over time. The type of wood plays a big role, as do treatments such as the whiskies are aged in a variety of types of casks. The whiskies are aged in former sherry or bourbon casks, augmenting the cask influence. External conditions such as air temperature, pressure and humidity also interact with the cask producing a knock-on effect that makes the spirit inside unique.
Finn uses these factors to balance each FT whisky experience. He may sample a cask and decide to leave it on the rack, allowing age to further develop its personality. He might decide to re-rack a whisky in a new cask to add a finishing touch. Or, he might simply deem it ready. When Finn decides the flavour is perfectly balanced, it’s time to bottle the whisky.
I decided to bottle this particular cask after trying it with my good friend Henry who runs the incredible Villeneuve Wines in Peebles. When first poured, the high abv of the whisky is quite apparent and although there are some lovely sweet notes it feels as if there is more to discover.
But then we let this whisky sit in the glass for 20 minutes and came back to it again. This time the heat of the alcohol had disappeared and we were left with a dram bursting with milk chocolate sweetness and vanilla.
So much of what makes whisky so special is about the ability of time to alter flavour. Of course, when one thinks of the relationship between time and flavour in whisky, the mind naturally goes to the many years in which the liquid will spend in the oak casks that give so much direction to the final taste.
However, when selecting this cask for bottling, the eureka moment came not as a result of the time spent in the cask but instead time spent in the glass.
This is a whisky to be patient with and is undoubtedly worth the wait.
Linkwood is what many would term a classic Speyside distillery. It produces a light and fragrant spirit which is created through long fermentation and long distillation. While the spirit flavour is undoubtedly elegant, there is still a noteworthy mouthfeel created here that allows Linkwood to prosper in both refill and first fill casks.
The first thing one notices about this whisky is the amazing dark natural colour. It almost looks like liquid chocolate. Indeed, the first fill bourbon influence here has also left a chocolate flavour profile. At 55.5% abv there is a chewiness to this whisky that means you can really take your time with it.
This is what Linkwood is all about. An inherent lightness of spirit character means that there are very delicate flavours here. These may well take time to shine through but once they do the drinker is left with the perfect balance of chocolate, vanilla and spice all enhanced by a brilliant chewy texture.
I decided to bottle this particular cask after trying it with my good friend Henry who runs the incredible Villeneuve Wines in Peebles. When first poured, the high abv of the whisky is quite apparent and although there are some lovely sweet notes it feels as if there is more to discover.
But then we let this whisky sit in the glass for 20 minutes and came back to it again. This time the heat of the alcohol had disappeared and we were left with a dram bursting with milk chocolate sweetness and vanilla.
So much of what makes whisky so special is about the ability of time to alter flavour. Of course, when one thinks of the relationship between time and flavour in whisky, the mind naturally goes to the many years in which the liquid will spend in the oak casks that give so much direction to the final taste.
However, when selecting this cask for bottling, the eureka moment came not as a result of the time spent in the cask but instead time spent in the glass.
This is a whisky to be patient with and is undoubtedly worth the wait.
Linkwood is what many would term a classic Speyside distillery. It produces a light and fragrant spirit which is created through long fermentation and long distillation. While the spirit flavour is undoubtedly elegant, there is still a noteworthy mouthfeel created here that allows Linkwood to prosper in both refill and first fill casks.
The first thing one notices about this whisky is the amazing dark natural colour. It almost looks like liquid chocolate. Indeed, the first fill bourbon influence here has also left a chocolate flavour profile. At 55.5% abv there is a chewiness to this whisky that means you can really take your time with it.
This is what Linkwood is all about. An inherent lightness of spirit character means that there are very delicate flavours here. These may well take time to shine through but once they do the drinker is left with the perfect balance of chocolate, vanilla and spice all enhanced by a brilliant chewy texture.