Review #805 - Brave New Spirits Linkwood 12 Year Single Cask
In March 2026, we had a chance to attend a tasting with Brave New Spirits, an independent bottler, as they launched their products in the United States. This Glasgow-based bottler was established in 2020, and they focus on bottling Scotch whiskies; they're also building Witchburn distillery in Campbeltown. Our tasting centered around releases in their 'Cask Masters' line - this is 1 of 6 reviews from the launch.
There's quite a bit of Linkwood single malt on the independent bottling market; it's aged in all sorts of casks, but this example is quite unusual: a Tannat wine barrique. Tannat is a variety of grape used to make red wines which was originally grown in southern France, but it's also now quite popular in Uruguay. This grape contributes a high level of tannins to a wine, so it's often used in blending; it's said to contribute dark fruit flavors like plum, as well.
This single cask was bottled at 12 years of age after that finishing period in Tannat wine, and it comes with a strength of 50.5% ABV.
Brave New Spirits Linkwood 12 Year Single Cask
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price: USD 113 (2026)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 50.5% ABV
Cask Makeup: Finished in a first fill Tanat wine barrique
Details: Cask #2312110; distilled March 15, 2013; bottled May 16, 2025; 344 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 50% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Golden raisins, grape-flavored cough syrup, dark grapes - very sweet and 'purple' smelling, a bit decadent. With time, more perfume notes from the wood influence arrive.
Palate: Musty grapes, some savory notes like beef, and then strong fig and prune notes. It's bold and a bit sweet, almost syrupy, and there's a light funk note from the wine casks in the background, too.
Finish: Dominant purple fruits like raisin and grape candies, along with sweet perfume notes and a decent amount of oak with tannins. It's rich and bold and lingering.
Final Note: The wine finish is quite strong here, adding those dominant purple fruit notes like grape and fig, along with a decently tannic oak kick. It's a rich and syrupy dram overall, but if you like a strong wine cask influence, this is a good one. It's also fun to try a new type of wine finish that we haven't seen before - we like this bottle.
Value is okay, just a little under average, as this is also expensive for a 12 year Linkwood. Those that like a strong cask influence will get more value out of it, though.
Our Rating: 7.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.79
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
