Whisky Broker

There are plenty of independent bottlers out there, but Whisky Broker as one of the smaller companies on the market provide a level of personal service that for me is beyond expectation. Stocking a range of products from 5cl samples to almost 500l butts, from a range of distilleries from across Scotland and at the moment from the North British distillery as well, there's a huge amount of variety available but with the emphasis remaining on quality products.

The passion of Martin Armstrong, the frontman of Whisky Broker, is evident through all aspects of their business. The cost of each of their bottlings is always great value for money, for single cask releases that all have a decent age on the bottle.

My first purchase from Whisky Broker was initially hampered by a sub-par level of service from a courier company who refused to finish delivery, due to a smashed bottle. Despite this most likely to be the fault of the delivery company, Whisky Broker went ahead and sent me two new bottles, through a different courier, free of charge, providing speedy responses to all my communication despite being in America at the time. This push for excellent customer service certainly draws me back to returning for more.

If what you are looking for in a whisky is a fancy bottle and elegant label, then you'll be disappointed, but if you can look past the word art labels and into the liquid deliciousness inside you are sure to be in for a treat. So without further ado:

Linkwood 18 - 51.4%

The Speyside distillery Linkwood, nestled on the out-skirts of Elgin, has a capacity of 2.5 million litres of spirit per year. While most of this output goes to use in blends (including Johnnie Walker and White Horse) the whisky comes to the market from independent bottlers at a very high standard and this is one such bottle.

Colour: Pale, light sand.
Nose: Mellow tones of nectarines coupled with a fresh citrus nose, seasoned with cinnamon and smothered with vanilla custard. A twist of cracked black pepper comes in near the end.
Palate: Clean and soft... butterscotch sauce bordering on creme brûlée, with just a slight essence of burnt sugar. A great bold roundness of sweet crunchy apples provides balance. The mouth feel is warming yet gentle and smooth considering the 51% ABV.
Finish: Red pepper, and a little Szechuan peppercorn heat initially, giving way to a malty chewiness that lingers lightly on the palate.

Aultmore 20, 54.4%

Opened initially in 1895 by Alexander Edward (owner of Benrinnes), this Highland distillery was powered by water wheel, until a fire spurred a change in power source to electricity in 1896. More recently, Aultmore has been rebuilt and expanded under the ownership of Dewars. Again, most of the spirit is sold to blenders, notably Dewars White Label, with a few bottles of single malt released by the owners, but predominantly available through independent sectors.

Colour: Sanded wood
Nose: Lightly vanilla'd touches of oaky dryness. Cinnamon with coffee and cream.
Palate: A creamy texture and vanilla roundness waves across the palate. A crush of baked apples, with powdered cinnamon and ginger, and a little icing sugar. While I prefer the dram neat, a little bit of water springs a citrus freshness into the mix.
Finish: The oily nature of cask strength coats the mouth with light ground spice, ending in dark chocolate and coffee.