Linkwood 5 Year Old 1973 John McEwan & Co Ltd Italian Import

Oooh, this is a golden oldie, right? Distilled in 1973 (the year of birth of Dearly Beloved, the sweetest woman of Gentbrugge and surroundings) and bottled after five years, so somewhere in 1978 or 1979. Consequently, a bottle of 750ml – Italian import, mind you – with a screw cap. I'm curious what this ultra-pale Linkwood tastes like, knowing that just over a decade ago I was allowed to put one on my lips.

Ouch, the first thing you notice is a lot of OBE. Let it breathe for a while. After about four or five minutes, a fresh touch of apples and vanilla appears, a lot of floral elements and something that reminds me of a puddle of water in the forest. Something of grain and also something of yeast. Comes across as very young (which of course it is).

The body is fine and on the palate I now get some lemon and a soft spiciness in addition to the apples. There is even a sweet side (which betrays the young age) as of citric acid candy. A little white pepper provides some spiciness. Licorice does not go unnoticed. This is suddenly not so bad.

The finish is short and very sweet, as if someone added a teaspoon of sugar to my glass at the end.

Nice little dram, especially because of the fact that it is a bit of liquid history. Thanks, Manny!

Find where to buy Linkwood whisky