Linkwood is mostly famous among blenders, but as a single malt it is also great. However, only 2% of Linkwood is bottled as a Single Malt. The rest disappears as Single Malt in the blends of Haig, Bell's, White Horse and Dimple! Normally characterised by sweet and fruity notes, this 12-year-old shows a different profile. Greener and fatter, but still with the characteristic delicate sweetness. It is an official bottling under Diageo's Flora & Fauna label. The label shows a pair of swans, as they regularly swim around in the pond, next to the distillery, called the Linkwood Burn, which is meant to collect cooling water. Bottled at an ABV of 43

Official tasting notes:

Appearance: Old gold.

Body: Mouth-filling, smooth and medium-bodied.

Nose: The first impression is of fresh soft-fruits (but indistinguishable), with a hint of vanilla in the background. Then light cigar-box notes are perceptible, and a faint hint of expensive ladies' perfume. The whole effect is civilized, complex and tightly integrated. With water, it opens into carnations and lavender, with a whiff of perfumed smoke. There are traces of juicy green sticks, then cedar-wood, with undercurrents of pomander or dried orange peel.

Palate: Mouth-filling and smooth. Sweet, overall. Viscous, but fresh and clean: a pleasant acidity helps to maintain this.

Finish: Cedar notes emerge in the finish, which is long.