Linkwood – 10yr First-Fill Red Wine Barrique

50.1% ABV, Single cask, specially bottled by Waxhouse Whisky

OB’s vs. IB’s are always a fun battle to watch play out. Most brands make their mark with their own official releases and many consumers either stick with them or look elsewhere. And then the more you delve into this whisky malarky, you then stumble across and discover Independent Bottlers. And these are the guys who can change the views of so many people on so many whiskies, on so many levels. They sometimes pick casks or releases that blow the official bottles on taste profile price not just out of the window, but sometimes out of orbit. They can change perceptions, turn the doubters, reinforce a brand.

Waxhouse Whisky is a very new, Independent bottler. Conceived and run by Jamie, Paul, and Dan, they decided to dive into the scary world of bottling choice whiskies under their own label. And so their company was born. This review is for their 3rd release.

Appearance: Medium amber. Speedy & thin oily legs.

Nose: Candied orange peel, toffee sauce, sautéed apples in butter, moist demerara sugar, and juicy green grapes pull the nostrils open and have a nice slow dance.

Palate: Fruity sweetness straight off the bat followed by moist brown sugar and a gentle prodding of white pepper. Then a softer and almost doughy sweetness appears like a still warm, freshly baked gooey pan au raisin. Gentle dryness moves in towards the end with a slight roasted nuttiness.

Finish: Long and oily with warming honey-roasted nuts. There’s a really pleasant drying element that closes the curtains on this one. And then a head pops out and delivers an encore of the faintest wisp of cigar smoke and oil.

Water adds... Buttery fruity sweets and sweet wine on the nose, drying oakiness on the palate and finish.

Conclusion: I like this a lot. It’s a lovely swerve away from what I normally drink and demands a second helping. What a fantastic drinker.

Available for £60 from www.waxhousewhisky.com and for me, was money well spent