LINKWOOD 1984-1995 MOON IMPORT DE VIRIS ILLUSTRIBUS

I thought this was quite peaty for a Linkwood. LINKWOOD 1984-1995 MOON IMPORT DE VIRIS ILLUSTRIBUS 50% one of 750 bottles The aroma is initially a bit complex, with good old-fashioned notes, dusty and slightly damp barley, faint apricot jam, tea, a plant-like quality, and a subtle peat from the back. When drinking it, it expands into a rich aroma, gradually spicy with a touch of heat, the sweetness of apricot jam, a sweet-sour balance, the savory barley flavor seeping into the tongue. Unexpectedly strong tar and peat notes emerge, followed by oil in the finish. [Good/Very Good] This Linkwood 1984-1995 comes from the DE VIRIS ILLUSTRIBUS series by Moon Import, aged for about 11 years. Although around 20 years have passed since bottling, I personally feel it has a nice old-fashioned character that suits my taste. There's still a bold barley note reminiscent of short maturation in the aroma, with faint notes of jam, tea, and peat. When drinking it, it expands into a rich aroma, transitioning from the spicy mouthfeel typical of short maturation to a savory barley flavor that lingers on the tongue. Perhaps due to bottle aging, the unexpectedly smooth jam-like sweetness and sweet-sour balance are pleasant. I was a bit surprised by the strong peat notes. It was very delicious, but this malt presented some challenges to understand due to its short maturation nuances, old-fashioned character, elements that seem to have emerged from bottle aging, and the unexpected peat. Malt like this, where one element after another unexpectedly appears during tasting, doesn't quite fit into the usual tasting routine. But encountering such a bottle always lifts my mood a bit.