While our annual delivery of hand-selected Signatory single malts continues to provide some of the best bang-for-your-buck deals in the nation, don’t think we didn’t load a few premium casks onto our most recent container. We dug deep into the vast selection of barrels this past Spring to uncover two absolute gems: an ethereal, malt-driven stunner from Linkwood distillery, and a decadent, sherry-aged beauty from Glenlivet. Both represent some of the finest values you’ll find domestically for single malt whisky of this quality and maturity. Supplies are limited to quantity on hand.

1985 Linkwood 29 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Barrel Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($199.99)

Linkwood is one of the most iconic Speyside distilleries not typically sold as a stand-alone single malt, and for good reason: Diageo needs every drop for Johnnie Walker and the various other blends sold by the spirits giant. Linkwood is considered by most blenders to be the ideal canvas, loaded with fresh fruit flavors, a flutter of grassiness, and plenty of weight on the palate. While younger single malt expressions typically bottled by independent labels can be quite enjoyable and perfectly drinkable, they often lack depth and complexity in our opinion. What’s missing is age. Wouldn’t it be great to see how Linkwood tastes after three decades in wood? Now we finally can thanks to this incredible little cask we found tucked into the corner at the Signatory warehouse this year. This 29 year old Linkwood is pure Speyside heaven, loaded with rich vanilla and caramel aromas that tease you into a second and third nosing. The palate is soft and oily, much lighter than the nose would suggest, with a touch of that grassy element coming into play on the finish. This is textbook Highland whisky, a whisky for Glenlivet and Glenfiddich drinkers who enjoy the classic flavors of single malt Scotch whisky, but are looking for more nuance and depth–something more out of the ordinary. For serious aficionados, this is a screaming hot deal. The cask had proofed itself down under 50% naturally, so we knocked another $60 off the bottle price by choosing NOT to take it at “cask strength”.

David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 16, 2015

I think most single malt collectors have been trained to know two things in today’s market: really good, exciting new bottle of Scotch = $100; and really, really good exciting new limited edition Scotch = $400+. Yet, with a little practicality and some good luck, we managed to find a really, really, really great bottle of single barrel, limited edition Scotch for $199; something better than most $400 bottles we’ve tasted over the past few years. Part of the trick was choosing to bottle at 46% versus cask strength. We can shave a few bucks off that way, and the fact that this almost-30 year old cask had evaporated under 49% already made that decision easy. The other factor that most people overlook is the ex-hogshead barrel. Sherry butts in today’s market are expensive. Islay whisky is expensive. Underrated Highland distilleries aged in old hogsheads? Not all that expensive. So when you find the right one you can get a pretty incredible deal. This whisky is pure harmonic perfection. Soft, delicate fruit, creamy vanilla that will haunt you in your dreams, and perfect pitch of creamy malt that glides down your palate like silk. Compare this to any other $200 bottle in the store and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Your money is going 10x as far with this Linkwood. It’s a serious, serious bottle of whisky for a price that, in today’s market, seems circumspect.