Lawn Mowers Run Amok in an Orchard

đŸ„ƒ Lawn Mowers Run Amok in an Orchard – Tasting Notes


Tasting Card Version

Distillery / Region: Linkwood (Speyside) — SMWS code 39

Age: 11 years

Cask Type: First-fill ex-bourbon barrel

ABV: 59.3% (cask strength)

Outturn: 184 bottles (Canada Exclusive)

This Speyside single malt is light, grassy, and full of orchard charm. Expect green apple, wild mint, lemon sherbet, and creamy coconut—all wrapped in the mischievous freshness of springtime. It’s like sipping sunshine in an orchard freshly trimmed by a runaway lawn mower.

Nose: Green apple, pear sorbet, fresh hay, wild mint, lemon zest

Palate: White peach, coconut cream, lemon sherbet, malt biscuits, meadow flowers

Finish: Honeydew melon, soft oak spice, thyme, and a crisp grassy breeze


Food Pairing:

  • Herbed goat cheese, cucumber tea sandwiches, or pear & walnut salad
  • Grilled lemon-rosemary chicken or creamy mushroom pasta
  • Bonus: Lemon tart or elderflower cupcakes

Detailed Write‑Up

Distillery & Release Story

“Lawn Mowers Run Amok in an Orchard” is SMWS bottling 39.288, a playful expression from Linkwood Distillery, nestled in Speyside. Typically a blending darling for its fruity and floral nature, Linkwood rarely gets center stage—but when it does, it steals the show.

This particular dram was aged for 11 years in a first-fill bourbon barrel and bottled at cask strength, exclusively for the Canadian market. Only 184 bottles were released, making it a rare and refreshing treat for fans of fruit-forward malts with a green, herbal twist.

The name captures its essence—vibrant, zippy, and just a little unruly. Imagine a Speyside summer orchard... and a lawn mower gone rogue.


Tasting Experience

Right from the first nosing, it’s a garden party in your glass: green apple, wild mint, lemon zest, and pear sorbet waft up in delicate waves. There’s a youthful crispness that immediately sets this apart.

On the palate, the dram bursts with white peach, lemon sherbet, coconut cream and soft malt biscuits. It’s sweet and grassy with a backbone of creamy citrus.

The finish lingers like a picnic breeze—honeydew, soft oak spice, meadow herbs, and a touch of thyme. Bright, elegant, and totally uplifting.


Serving Tips

This is your **mid-afternoon sipper**—serve neat or with a few drops of water to release more floral and vanilla tones. Try before heavier sherried or smoky whiskies to fully appreciate its freshness. Works well with food or light bites.


Food Pairings & Talking Points

Ideal Pairings:

  • Savory: Herbed goat cheese, cucumber sandwiches, grilled lemon chicken
  • Sweet: Lemon tart, white chocolate mousse, elderflower cupcakes

Conversation Hooks:

  • Ask guests: “Can a whisky smell green?!” Let them describe the orchard feel themselves.
  • Talk about Linkwood’s secret fame in blends and how rare it is to see it solo in a single cask.
  • Explain how first-fill bourbon barrels bring out dessert notes like vanilla, coconut, and citrus in Speyside malt.


Lawn Mowers Run Amok in an Orchard – SMWS 39.288
Lawn Mowers Run Amok in an Orchard – SMWS 39.288

To sum up...


đŸ„ƒ Lawn Mowers Run Amok in an Orchard – SMWS 39.288

Speyside Single Malt ‱ Canada Exclusive ‱ 11 Years ‱ 59.3% ABV ‱ 184 Bottles


Appearance:

Bright straw gold with glinting clarity and fast legs—youthful and lively in the glass.


Aroma:

Fresh and green: green apple, hay, mint, lemon zest, and early spring flowers


Palate:

Lively orchard fruit (pear, peach, apple), lemon sherbet sparkle, and soft vanilla coconut cream. Grassy and light, with floral top notes and buttery malt below.


Finish:

Clean, bright, and zesty. Honeydew, oak spice, and herbal lift round it out with thyme and meadow sweetness.


📝 Suggested Tasting Note for Event:

Lawn Mowers Run Amok in an Orchard – A rare Linkwood bursting with orchard fruit, wild herbs, and zesty citrus. Fresh as spring, playful as a rogue mower. Canada Exclusive – only 184 bottles made.



Lawn Mowers Run Amok in an Orchard – SMWS 39.288
Lawn Mowers Run Amok in an Orchard – SMWS 39.288

đŸ—Łïž Conversation Hook Expanded:



đŸ„ƒ Linkwood’s secret fame:

Linkwood is one of Speyside’s best-kept secrets. It’s beloved by blenders for its elegant, fruity character—often used in premium blends like Johnnie Walker or Bell’s to add depth and refinement. But here’s the twist: you rarely see it bottled as a single malt, especially not at cask strength, and definitely not in first-fill bourbon. That makes Lawn Mowers Run Amok in an Orchard a rare treat for Speyside purists and whisky explorers alike. It’s Linkwood unfiltered and unleashed—a solo performance from a band member that usually plays in the background.



đŸ„ƒ First-fill bourbon barrels draw out dessert notes:

First-fill bourbon barrels are a dessert lover’s dream. Because the cask hasn’t been used much before, it still contains lots of vanilla, coconut, and soft oak compounds from the original bourbon spirit. When you age a Speyside malt like Linkwood in one of these, it’s like soaking fruit in whipped cream. You get lifted citrus, stone fruit, and tropical notes (peach, pineapple, lemon zest), smoothed out by creamy vanilla and toasted coconut. It’s like sipping a fruit salad with a buttery biscuit on the side—light, playful, and oh-so-moreish.



đŸ„ƒServing Tips

  • Glassware: Use a Glencairn or copita to capture the delicate fruit and floral notes.
  • Water: Add just a few drops to soften the grassy zing and coax out more creamy vanilla and citrus layers.
  • When to Pour: This is a fantastic starter dram — light, fresh, and ideal for opening a tasting or enjoying in the early evening sun.
  • Food Pairing: Try with lemon tarts, herbed goat cheese, apple slices with brie, or a garden salad with pear and toasted walnuts.


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