Review #866 - Signatory Vintage Linkwood 11 Year - US 100 Proof Edition #2
When Signatory Vintage launched their US version of their 100 Proof series, they started with 4 batched bottlings: a Macallan, a Glentauchers, a Miltonduff, and this Linkwood. They also bottle single casks in this series, such as the first US edition of the 'exceptional cask' line, a 17 year old Craigellachie. Often, but not always, these single malts have a strong sherry influence.
That's the case here with the Linkwood - it was matured in Oloroso sherry casks, although these were second fill casks. They were also the larger 'butt' size of sherry casks; the combination of the large cask size and the second-fill usage means that this single malt might not be as overtly sherried as some others in the series. This whisky was distilled in 2013 and bottled in 2024, so we have an 11 year age statement.
Signatory Vintage Linkwood 11 Year - US 100 Proof Edition #2
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price: USD 75 (2026)
Age Statement: 11 Years
Strength: 50% ABV
Cask Makeup: Second fill Oloroso sherry butts
Details: No chill filtered, no color added; distilled 2013, bottled 2024
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 7 months; bottles at 100%, 80%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Quite fruity and sweet, with oranges, strawberry bubblegum, and cranberry sauce; behind that, creamy notes build, especially a malty character and some vanilla. Grapefruit, brown sugar, and light floral notes accent the clean, bright complexion, and we get a bit of banana, too.
Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness. Honey and orchard fruits like golden apple, oranges, and stone fruits take center stage, but we also get a bit of savory cinnamon and a mild oak kick in the background. There's a toasted side to that oak as well, and the flavors continue with sugary strawberry and some creamy distillate character.
Finish: This begins to mellow out - soft sweet malt, vanilla, gummy candies, and some nondescript purple fruits. Nectarine and lemon-lime soda add a fizzy side, and we get syrupy peach in the aftertaste. This has a medium length finish.
Final Note: A pleasant Linkwood, one that shows off the sweet, malty side of that distillate while still showcasing lots of bright fruits as well. We didn't actually find too much dark fruit despite full maturation in those Oloroso casks, but instead, lots of orchard fruit and some reddish tones like strawberry were dominant. This is an easy-sipping single malt, and while the bottling strength is quite approachable, it still delivers enough heft for there to be good flavor density.
We think value for this bottle is very fair, too. Signatory has been bringing a lot of good value in recent years, especially considering the provenance of the single malts they're bottling and the age statements we see. This one is no exception, and we'll continue to look to these 100 US Proof bottlings in the future for more good value.
Our Rating: 6.7 / 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: 6.32
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.
Check out our other Linkwood reviews:
Review #805 - Brave New Spirits Linkwood 12 Year Single Cask
Review #591 - Adelphi Linkwood 12 Year Single Cask
Review #395 - Single Malts of Scotland Linkwood 14 Year
Review #222 - Single Malts of Scotland Reserve Casks Linkwood 13 Year
Review #65 - SMWS 39.217 'Crunchy and Homely' - Linkwood 8 Year
