Murray McDavid Linkwood Madeira Finish Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Cask Craft Series 700ml

Linkwood is one of Speyside's true elders — founded in 1821 in Elgin by Peter Brown, rebuilt in 1872 following William Brown's inheritance of the estate in 1868, and standing today, nearly 200 years later, as one of the oldest continuously operating producers of Speyside single malt in existence. Murray McDavid's Whisky Creations Team selected this time-honored, naturally light and fruity Linkwood spirit — described by one longtime retailer as sometimes "grassy and estery," other times "oily, citrus and cereal driven" — and gave it a genuinely distinctive finish: Madeira wine barriques sourced directly from Justino's Madeira S.A., one of the historic fortified wine producers on the Portuguese island of Madeira.

This release is part of Murray McDavid's Cask Craft series (also marketed in earlier years as "Art of Maturation"), a collection built specifically to explore how different wood types reshape a single malt's underlying character. Murray McDavid's own stated philosophy captures the ambition behind the whole project: "questioning the standard conventions of maturing whisky in commonplace casks, our team developed visionary maturation techniques, seeking exceptionally well-sourced oak casks from the very best vineyards, bodegas across Europe and whiskey-makers of America." The company itself carries real credibility for this kind of work — founded in the mid-1990s by Mark Reynier, Simon Coughlin, and Gordon Wright, formerly of Springbank Distillery, the team went on to purchase the then-dormant Bruichladdich Distillery in December 2000, bringing it back into production with Master Distiller Jim McEwan before selling it, along with Murray McDavid itself, to Rémy Cointreau in 2012 for a considerable profit.

Independent reviewers have found genuinely different things in the glass. WhiskeyFellow's review landed enthusiastically: "Murray McDavid Madeira Cask Finished was an adventure in fruits, nuts, and wood. It was well-balanced, correctly proofed, and had a rich texture. Unless you have an aversion to sweeter single malts, this is a lovely experience," earning the reviewer's top "Bottle" rating. Scotty's Drams took a more measured, mixed view, finding "raspberry ripple ice cream, a hint of vanilla and cereal," almost reminiscent of Cranachan — the classic Scottish raspberry-and-oat dessert — alongside "sweet white wine" and a floral rose-water note, but concluding the whisky was "not very complex at all" on the palate and, in their words, "not the best Linkwood I have ever tasted." The official tasting notes describe alluring aromas of red currants, honied cereal, and milk chocolate flowing onto the palate, closing on a long, warming finish of sweet oak spice — Master of Malt's own extended account adds raspberry, toasted almond, vanilla ice cream, and mint on the nose, developing into a beautifully honeyed palate with syrupy fruits, peanut brittle, and a touch of clove. Bottled at 44.5% ABV / 89 proof, non-chill filtered, with no added color — this is genuine cask-experimentation whisky from one of Scotch's most historically significant independent bottlers.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Linkwood Distillery was founded in 1821 in Elgin, Speyside, by Peter Brown, and rebuilt in 1872 following William Brown's inheritance of the property in 1868, making it one of the oldest continuously operating producers of Speyside single malt whisky, at nearly 200 years of history. The distillery has been under Diageo ownership since Scottish Malt Distillers' 1933 takeover and subsequent amalgamation into the drinks conglomerate.

This whisky was independently selected and bottled by Murray McDavid, established in the mid-1990s by Mark Reynier, Simon Coughlin, and Gordon Wright, a former director at Springbank Distillery. The company built its reputation on maturing whisky in unconventional, high-quality casks, and in December 2000 purchased the then-dormant Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay, returning it to production under Master Distiller Jim McEwan before selling both Bruichladdich and Murray McDavid itself to Rémy Cointreau in 2012. Murray McDavid was subsequently sold to its current owners, Aceo Ltd., and now operates from the closed Coleburn Distillery site in Speyside. This release is part of the Cask Craft series, taking Linkwood's naturally light, sweet, malty spirit — carrying citrus and a hint of nuts — and finishing it in Madeira wine barriques sourced from Justino's Madeira S.A. in Portugal, which impart rich, dry fruit character and mellow oak spice. Bottled at 44.5% ABV / 89 proof, non-chill filtered, with no added color.

Tasting Profile

Nose
Old gold color with a hint of pink. Red currants and honied cereal lead, joined by milk chocolate. Raspberry ripple, toasted almond, vanilla ice cream, and a hint of mint add further layers, alongside sweet white wine and a floral rose-water note.

Palate
Light, oily mouthfeel, spirit-forward but not aggressive. Raspberries and red currants carry a small measure of astringency, joined by toasted peanuts, honey, syrupy fruit, and peanut brittle, with a touch of clove.

Finish
Long and warming, closing on sweet oak spice, milk chocolate, and a burst of baking spices. Some tasting finds subtle vegetal notes emerging toward the very end.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Dark chocolate and berry desserts
• Aged cheeses
• Roasted nuts
• Dried fruit boards

Serving Note

Best enjoyed neat in a Glencairn glass, allowing the fruit-forward Madeira cask influence and Linkwood's naturally light, malty spirit to unfold together.