Untamed Independents: Thompson Bros 2010 Linkwood Review

For this week’s Independent Bottler whisky review, I wanted to pick something that speaks to the value IBs bring to whisky fans. So I picked a Diageo distillery, which is rarely seen as an official bottling, besides its lone Flora and Fauna release. Also, a distillery which competes for the title of most loved IB whisky. For today’s review, I picked the Thompson Bros 2010 Linkwood 13-year-old releases.

This post is part of my series on Independent Bottlers. Sundays for the IBs 101 posts, and Wednesdays for the reviews focused on IBs

Before I jump into the review of the Thompson Bros. 2010 Linkwood, I want to give some context, especially for those new to the distillery, about why it is such a beloved whisky for many, both from the consumer point of view and the IBs. If you are well acquainted with Linkwood, feel free to jump ahead to the review

Linkwood: a whisky lover’s favourite

Let’s start with the part I am most qualified to discuss: the whiskey drinker’s point of view. Having a chance to taste a whisky which is seldom bottled by its parent company, and instead mainly goes into blends, could be a reason enough for some of us. I am certainly in that camp. If I have a chance to try a new distillery, I will be at the front of the line. But that does not explain why so many whisky fans love IB Linkwood. The main reason is to be found in its taste.

Linkwood’s spirit is one of those which shine even without a strong cask influence. It is naturally elegant with floral, fruity, sweet, and with age, even waxy notes. While Linkwood is definitely its own thing, the high-level aromatic profile is something it shares with some much-loved whiskies such as Glencadam and Glenfiddich, which remains a solid dram, despite its 40% chill-filtered and coloured nature.

While younger expressions allow those bright aromas to shine with the most purity, ageing only adds to that profile. With time, Linkwood’s spirit progressively turns waxy and then honeyed, even tropical at times. And all, often, for a very competitive price. Relative to other IB whiskies and to the age of the spirit, Linkwood often remains a great value option.

Which takes me right to the other side of the coin.

Linkwood: an Independent Bottler favourite

Why do Independent Bottlers love to bottle Linkwood? I do not work in the whisky industry, so much of the answer stems from a combination of observation and details shared a few acquaintances directly involved with Independent Bottlers.

Availability is certainly part of it. Have a look at Whiskybase’s list of Linkwood bottlings and you’ll find over two thousand bottlings ranging from 3 to 61 years of age (at the time of writing). There’s little doubt that the attainability of casks allows IBs to tap into this distillery. That availability would not be desirable without the reliability Linkwood brings. Linkwood has a reputation for consistency.

To round things off, it is a spirit that can take well to several cask finishes, without being overwhelmed by the cask character. This offers IBs an independent bottlers who want to experiment with a reliable base spirit. Personally, at least based on a handful of samples of cask finished versions I tried, I prefer those aged in refill casks like the Thompson Bros 2010 Linkwood I am about to review.

With that, let’s jump into the review itself.

Thompson Bros. 2010 Linkwood, 13 years old

Tasting Notes

Colour: Pale straw, like a cask-aged white wine

Nose: Rich, fruity, floral and sweet. Caramel, ripe yellow apples, melon, and a touch of pineapple. A bright lemon oil note. A bouquet of white flowers. A touch of wood char. A hint of spice – cinnamon and perhaps ginger. A little menthol.

With water, the aromas don’t change massively; rather, the balance of the notes switches. The fruit comes more to the front, as well as the floral notes, and the sweetness is significantly toned down.

Taste & Finish: Quite rich and mouth-coating. There is a certain caramel sweetness but more toned down. The spices – ginger and cinnamon spice, apple and melon, malt, citrus peel. The finish is long, with a bit of complexity. Caramel, cinnamon, apples, pear and melon, white flowers, again a slight hint of wood char.

With water,  there are a lot more malt-forward notes, pastry, malted barley chaff, and more fruit notes. The spice is still there but emerges later, more on the finish.

Score: 7, very good stuff

When it comes to examples of what IBs bring to the table, you could do a lot worse than grab this Thompson Bros 2010 Linkwood. Or to be fair, pretty much any of the Thompson Bros bottlings in my experience. A quality bottling of a distillery with little or no official releases? Check. A great representation of the distillery’s style? Check. Showcasing the IBs ability to select a great cask? Check again.

This is a great bottling, true to the Linkwood character but also showcasing some of the resiny and waxy character which comes with age, even with a cask which is still just in its early teens. 

If I have a minor complaint, and this really is me being a grumpy bore, is that the underlying caramel sweetness I get is slightly taking over the more elegant fruity, citrusy and floral notes. If it were just slightly toned down, this already very good Linkwood would jump by an extra mark. That doesn’t mean I am disappointed to have this bottle on my shelf… quite the contrary!

* Scores are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points

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After writing my tasting notes, I always find it interesting to look at other opinions. Here is another review of Thompson Bros. Linkwood 2010 enjoyed:

Dramface 

Interested in my take on a specific whisky style? Check the full Journey here and jump to the relevant Chapter.

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