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.
Enjoyed many single malts but Talisker always stands out in my memory. I love the salty undertones and fresh taste
Maybe it was because it was just a 3cl sample but the advertised and eagerly anticipated thick pungent smoke was noticeable only by its absence, especially when compared with Talisker Storm. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy my first taste of the 10YO but I was left slightly confused! As I brought the glass to my nose, my senses were dominated by seaside aromas; sea salt, seaweed, salted kippers, wet hemp rope, with hints of apple and finely ground charred oak swirling around. The moment it touched my palate I could feel pink & black peppers dancing with salted caramel and the charred oak all vying for my attention. The pepper and char won, out staying the caramel and giving a long warm tingling finish. I added a drop of water which brought a sweeter edge to the aroma, popcorn and brown sugar becoming equal partners with the previously dominating saltiness. The palate was smoother with the pepper gang giving some ground to toffee, caramel notes with the charred oak lingering in the background. Sensory Journey: Tying up the lobster boat and unloading the creels. Stretching the arms out wide and taking in the sights and sounds of the gulls calling and the tide lapping against the pier. Nose 3 out of 5 Mouth 3.5 out of 5 Will revisit and try a 70cl version at some point.
Bought a small 20cl bottle of this to try, for to wet the baby's head (just had a baby boy) and I've nearly emptied it already! Beautiful stuff! Only really tried Glenfiddich before (12, 15 and 18 year old) so I'm new to whisky, but this is very enjoyable, can't think of a better way to celebrate the birth of my little boy.
One of favorites, so far
You heard the man! This is a volcano ash explosion, yet lacking the medicinal very peaty taste that accompanies Islay whiskies like laphroaig. I've had bottles that were better and some were worse, but they all carry that distinctive smokey and peppery taste, with some sweeter caramel and malt elements. The 10 year old is my favorite talisker, compared with some of the NAS ones, this one is just better rounded and has more depth to it than just the smoke-pepper talisker flavor they try to deliver more of in the NAS ones.
