Talisker 10 year old single malt is a classic Island whisky from the Isle of Skye. Aged for a minimum of 10 years in American oak casks, this welcome member of Diageo's Classic Malts series has been recognised numerous times for its excellence. Immensely satisfying stuff, with whiffs of warm peat blending with coastal air, balanced by orchard fruit and juicy barley. A spectacular after dinner dram.
It was an Editor's Choice at Whisky Magazine, a gold medal winner at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2017 and was awarded 'Best Islands Single Malt' at the 2017 World Whiskies Awards.
A fresh and fragrant nose. Through thick, pungent smoke comes sweet pear and apple peels, with pinches of maritime salt from kippers, seaweed.
It's a bonfire of peat crackling with black pepper, with a touch of brine and dry barley. A welcome delivery of orchard fruit provides a delicate and beautiful balance.
In a long finish, bonfire embers toast malt and crystallise a sugary underlay.
Very smoky, powerful taste, not for the faint of heart! Definitely has a sea water kind of aroma in there. The first time I opened the bottle I was astonished by the burnt smell that emanated from it, and the taste stayed true to this first impression. I did not like this scotch. 2 weeks later and half a bottle later, I either got used to the taste or the bottle got used to me, I'm still not sure which. But this is some fine scotch, for sure. The only problem is that now the highland park 12 bottle I bought alongside this one, lies untouched in the cupboard, for being too watery and dull...
I was given an unwanted bottle of this stuff by a chap at work who knew I liked a nip of Scotch. He said he had tried it and described it as "paint stripper." Well I think it's superb, a masterpiece, and ridiculously inexpensive for what you get. It has far more substance and authority than Black Bush and is much easier to drink than Highland Park, but somehow beats each at their own game.
this was the first bottle I bought from from this range from talisker, and what a great whiskey this is.10/10 for me
Just finished my first glass of this. Prepared by swirling filtered water in my glass, dumping it out, then adding whiskey for just a few drops of water to open the nose. I can tell this is a whiskey I will be keeping in my cabinet. Without question, this carries the peaty flavors through from the malting process, so if you don't like peat, this is not for you, stick to the many lovely non-peated scotch whiskeys such as Glenmorangie 18 or Aberlour 12. However, this is nowhere near as peaty as my all-time favorite, Lagavulin 16, or the iconic Laphroiag 10--this Talisker is much "easier" to enjoy. Relative to Lagavulin, the intensity of the peat is maybe 35% as great, meaning this would be easier to have more regularly, not just when I'm "in the mood" as is the case with lagavulin or laphroiag. The briny flavors imparted from the sea spray passing through the open windows and impregnating the casks in Talisker's aging room is a delightful addition to the palette here. As another commented, the finish is, in my opinion rather short, one of the weaknesses here (level of complexity would be another)...so I'd award it gold rather than double gold. Highly recommend!!
This is a tough whisky,as the ancient Scots said it, and remarkably divisive. I'm new to it. I bought it on the way to a gig and looked forward to it all evening. When I got home I threw a few logs on the, thankfully, still burning fire and poured a glass. My first impression was that I'd made a terrible mistake. It tasted medicinal and much too rough. I found myself wanting another taste however. The more I sipped, the more I began to appreciate the roughness of this wonderful whiskey. It somehow makes you feel like you're tasting history. You can imagine generations of islanders sitting by their fires being simultaneously warmed from the cruel northern Scottish weather
