Hunter Laing - Old Malt Cask - Linkwood 16

An 16 year whisky from the Linkwood Distillery bottled by Hunter Laing in the Old Malt Cask series at 50%. It is distilled in November 1996 and bottled in October 2013. In total 407 bottles were drawn from the Sherry butt with reference HL ref 10068. 

On the sweet nose is vanilla, raisins, grilled pineapple, orange, pipe tobacco, old newspapers, apple pie, baking spices, dried banana, plums, cassis and rooibos tea.

Moving on the palate I find many notes like on the nose but with a bit short finish sadly. Some spicy red chilli pepper and a bit dirty leather feeling combined with cocoa and strong coffee bitterness. 

That bitterness is overpowering the sweet notes a bit on the palate, and I liked them more on the nose. There is fruit sweetness and creaminess but not a balanced feeling, and scoring 7 out of 10 for me.