Talisker 18 Year Old

I like a whisky that is smoky, peaty, with a subtle sweetness and a touch of spice... Talisker 18y/o blends those characteristics to the point of pure perfection with a complexity of taste, nose and finish that really makes you think.

It certainly isn’t cheap, that’s for sure, and whether it is worth almost treble the price of the 10y/o Talisker is open to debate, but for me it ticks every box, and is the perfect drop to put in a decanter and savour when you fancy something a bit special.

12th September 2020

I had 2-3 glasses of this one earlier this year. The way it delivers, comes in smooth and matured.

I say it's one of the greats, but I didn't really like it too much. The flavour profile didn't match 100% to my taste buds.

But, it's really smooth and tasty, you don't notice the burn.

7th June 2020

Wonderful dram, very complex and very restrained, the saltiness and peat are not at the forefront but linger in the background whilst the peppery, malty, fruitiness take over. This isn't Sherry bombed fruit though, this is stone fruit, with some stewed apple notes. It's really good but, once left go open up for a few weeks, fantastic. 100% recommend.

14th May 2020

Considering this is Talisker, famed for it's peat/saltiness, this is a surprising delicate dram which is really well rounded and very different from the classic 10 (which I love). The first nosing after opening the bottle is heavily phenolic, metallic, and intense, and not unlike the 10 in some ways. After a few days open this typical harshness melts away and it is all sweetness and fruit and very little of that typical character. The saltiness is always there, and it's what makes it stand out as a really exceptional dram, but it is delicate and understated. I like this a lot and think it is a really good, sophisticated dram - but I could understand someone who was a passionate 10 yr old fan, a peat head lets say, being somewhat underwhelmed, as it does not have that in-your-face character. I really like it - but would I buy this or the 10 next time? Honestly the 10 is so good for it's price i'd probably opt for it, but this is worth your time and worth trying.

3rd May 2020

This is a truly astonishing whisky.

Compress the taste of seaside, toffee and smoke, add a massive dose of delicious and you have it. The 10yo is good. This is different gravy.

6th March 2020

This is the best whisky I have ever tasted, and that is far too many. The combination of oak, smoke and sweetness is just astonishing. The bouquet is an enticing hint of what is to come, but the flavour, whilst quite peaty, is just fill of toffee. Its smooth, deep, complex and dangerously moorish.

23rd February 2020

Given that, usually, I can buy the Talisker 10 locally for £30, I have to ask is this 18yo worth the extra £46 - and the answer is yes and no. I certainly prefer it to the 10yo - it's got a bit more of everything - the peat, the smoke, the pepper, fruit and oak - but more rounded and balanced and without the sourness in the finish which doesn't agree with me. However, I was reading recently in Charles MacLean's book 'Spirit of Place' that the vast majority of the spirit distilled at Carbost is tankered down to the central belt to be casked and stored before being chill-filtered and colour added. Compare that to the £63 Springbank 15 which is produced entirely in Campbeltown (start to finish) and bottled at 46%, non-chillfilered with no artificial colouring. So, did I enjoy my drams of Talisker 18? Yes I did. But when my Springbank and Talisker bottles are empty, guess which one I'll be replacing!

17th February 2020

I clearly had a different experience than others here. I tried this tonight for the first time and was actually quite disappointed. I found it to be primarily malt-forward, with any notes of peat or oak influence nearly completely muted. It felt flat. I expected more depth from an 18 year, especially from Talisker. This may be due to me trying it at an establishment that I got the impression doesn't move it frequently so perhaps it has oxidised a bit, or maybe I'm just searching for a reason. Either way I expected more. I'll try it again at a more trusted establishment, but until I revisit this whiskey my assessment will remain.

26th December 2019

Brilliant, the only reason I don't give this 5 is because the F19 Distiller's Edition (aged in *Amoroso* sherry casks) probably outdoes this , believe it or not. But this is a glorious balance between island type flavors of peat and smoke and highland type flavors of honey and toffee. Great whisky

22nd March 2019

The Talisker 18 is to the 10 year old like Beethoven is to John Phillip Sousa. It is the Goldilocks of Whiskeys. Perfectly balanced, savory, the perfect blend of spice, smokiness, pepper and floral. It, along with Highland Park 18 spoils you into Scotch dreamland, caressing you and making the hundred and a half you spill from your pocket seem like a pittence.

16th February 2019

I really wanted to love this, but the fact is I like the 10 year and NAS storm much better. The 18 year has a medicinal or iodine finish and the brash smokiness of the 10 year and storm is too subdued in the 18. Save your money and get the 10 year.

5th February 2019

One of my favourite whiskies and lives up to the hype. Has all the right balance of sweetness, smokiness, complexity and length. Probably shouldn't be surprised that it's becoming increasingly hard to come by!! Hopefully just a temporary shortage rather than a discontinued line...

1st February 2019

It's awful! Can people please stop buying it?!

28th January 2019

This is a really lovely whisky, which surges in the mouth and is beautifully balanced in flavour. It packs a good kick, but in a sweet and really pleasurable way. My partner, who I share whisky notes with, agreed: it is a very enjoyable malt whisky.

13th December 2018

I really like the 10 yo, and dislike the talisker skye.
The 18 is just wonderful!!

22nd March 2018

Very, very excellent!!!

3rd March 2018

Totally agree with 'Flavour Explosion'...amazing dram this one...totally delicious in every way...never disappoints!!😎

26th February 2018

In rating any whisky there is an immense subjective factor. We all have different tastes. Those of you (like me) that thoroughly enjoy Oban 18, Highland Park 18, Macallan 18, and Bunnahabhain 18, and Glenmorangie Signet, there is a new contender in town. Having been at the distillery in 2017, and tasted the distiller's edition, Skye, and 57 deg., I was aware that I enjoyed their flavor profile, but ... nothing prepared me for the exquisite taste of the 18. The experience begins in the proper Glencairn glass, the color is a deep amber which seems to coat the sides of the glass. The nose is splendid, and it is a portend of what is to come. The first sip is a flavor explosion which overwhelms the senses. The usual hints of peat are expertly blended into a masterful concerto of other incredibly satisfying flavors. Black cherry, salted caramel, and plums are discernible, but muted. Some citrus emerges but unlike Glenmorangie, it is not the overriding flavor. By the second sip, the reinforcements arrive with even more elements of this indelible expression. Taking time between sips, allows for the lingering and more subtle flavors of spices to emerge. Finishing this whisky will leave you almost exhausted and exhilarated, and comforted by the fact that you have the rest of the bottle to enjoy. I will enjoy all my other usuals, but Talisker 18 has blasted its way to the front of the line. I now need to taste the 25. Keep tuned in.

2nd January 2018

Fabulous bottling. One definately to savor. The classic talisker profile is there although subdued as you would expect. Yummy. Worth the asking price.

23rd December 2017

As we are visiting Scotland Talisker could be tried😂😂😂

15th November 2017

I love whisky. I love Laphroig, Lagavulin, Glenfarclas, Kilchoman and many more. But Talisker 18 is what I had always imagined the perfect whisky to be. Every whisky lover should get to try this at least once

13th November 2017

Delicious!!!!Manages to be smoky,sweet and spicy all at once...more subtle than Laga 16....very good dram this one.Voted "Best Whisky int World" in 2007......overall.....just superb!

19th October 2017

One of my favorites. Smoke and spice, with a touch of sweetness. Would love to try a cask strength.

24th September 2017

My favourite peated whisky. Smoke doesn't overpower a beautiful whisky full of complexity. Deliciously oily palate.

16th September 2017

I tried many whiskies ... but Talisker 18 is arguably one of the best whisky ever made.

15th August 2017

My family favorite. When will it come again?

24th May 2017

Excellent dram.more Smoke than Peat unlike Ardberg or Lagavulan. Several flavors including some sea salt/brine and what a long finish! I got it for $80 in the states and worth every penny and then some!

18th February 2017

Talisker 18 Year Old: on the nose immediately recognisable Talisker + some pepper. Colour amber. The taste and the true body of this drink comes in waves, three or four in conjunctive. After that the peppery finish draws in, slowly but steady, prevailing on the lateral parts of the tongue. It leaves the drinker in respectful awe. Talisker 10 is maybe just staring at the sea but this product is the sea itself splashing on the rugged face of a fisherman.

31st January 2017

Sensational!!!! This is the Scotch my father would drink if I shared it. Warms my heart and makes my think of a seaside castle. Oh and hang on because the flavor evolves for some time. The folks that created this highland vacation in a bottle have earned my respect.

20th January 2017

Every Winter Solstice the Mariners Hockey Club gathers on the end of the Warrnambool breakwater to pay homage the mariners who have lost their lives at sea. Warren Day, a legend of the club, would read poetry in his booming voice, take his 18 year old Talisker and brazenly hold it to the stormy sky to toast the seafaring ghosts and warm the cockles of his heart. This is a legendary whisky. A legendary taste. For legendary men.

13th January 2017

Couldn't find a better balanced peated whisky if you tried. Well spiced (ginger), well salted (sea salt, brine?), and the slightest touch of sweetness too (salted toffee). I recently featured this whisky for a tasting and it didn't last long at all.

24th October 2016

Bought at talisker my 18 year old is gone ....
fruits oak und at least i can smell the salt of the sea ....the wind does his work at the warehouse

so you to buy the next ones ...enjoy

20th September 2016

This is worse than 10yo, Storm or (dare I say it) Skye?? Unpleasant aftertaste and nothing much to offer on the palate. I will definitely not buy this ever again.

10th May 2016

Immense and rich. Fruits, Oak and Peat. Perfectly balanced. Pleasant and long.

Can't get enough.

29th April 2016

Tried this at the distillary last week, grabbed a bottle and run straight to the till. Beautiful whisky.

24th April 2016

I deleted some of my best work last night. Unrecoverable. I used this to toast the fallen soldier. It was excellent.
-Katie

19th April 2016

Best I've had

12th March 2016

This scotch is bomb!

31st January 2016

This is how a whisky should be. It takes a man to drink it (sorry ladies - if you love it too, call me, you may be my kind of girl). It is earthy, smokey, sour and smouldering like a destroyed village on an eastern island after a raiding party. Ardbeg and Laphroiag may be smokier but they assault your senses. Toast, peaches, black pepper, nutmeg, aaaah I could go on all night. This is the best whisky money can buy.

26th January 2016

Wonderful, refreshing whisky with a lovely warm spicy finish.

31st December 2015

I don't drink it...I buy it for my son.

10th December 2015

Very good, although I tasted one of these a couple of years ago and that one was legendary good. Not sure which year that one was from though. /Joakim

10th December 2015

Fabulous mouth feel, really chewy in a good way. Peppery and floral with a long lingering sunset of pepper, vanilla, ginger and liquorice. I hope my friends never spot it at the back of the cabinet.

19th November 2015

I recently received this bottle as a gift. I had just seen Ralfy's recent review praising this expression, so I was thrilled to try it. Let me tell you... I can't imagine a better expression of a Talisker than this! If you are a fan on the Talisker 10 year old, I assure you that you will be blown away by this bottle. It's basically everything the 10 year old is trying to be perfected. While it's very pricey near me, it's worth it for the odd special occasion. 95/100 stuff, and a must try for any Talisker fan.

31st March 2015

This 18yr old has a fair hint of iodine and a light smokiness that does not hinder the palate when explorer the butter caramel notes. Enjoyable to say the least and has me interested in trying other drams within the same age bracket. A nice teenage bottle that definitely makes me want to expand my horizon with the 25yr old 2005 which I have waiting for me. Cheers.

6th February 2015

Rich, viscous, fruity, spicy and then peppery. A great value for a high scoring 18 year old.

19th November 2014

if you re read the review it says the lagavulin was disappointing compared to other islays , meaning that there are other islays that they enjoy. & that this t18 was was disappointing as was the lag , to their taste & not that the t18 was an islay as was the lag , it was the disappointment that was compared !!!

24th September 2014

This is not an Islay malt.

6th June 2014

I'm comparing this to the Lagavulin 16, which was disappointing, to my tastes compared to other Islays. And this was similar but even less interesting. Sorry.

29th April 2014

A very fine whiskey, to be sure. All the flavour of the 10yr old with a nice mellowness. It's a little overpriced compared to, say, the Lagavulin 16 and even the excellent Talisker 10 though.

20th February 2014

One of the best Whisky I've ever tasted, and I've tried a few.

26th January 2014

Truly sensational. Like a boat that wasn't there a second ago.

6th March 2013

Gotta get myself one of these

4th March 2013

Talisker is fantastic, one of the few to compete with Islay offerings. I have the 10 and a 20cl bottle of this 18. Give the 18 time and space, a tiny drop of water and it will explode - beautiful!

18th December 2012

This is one of the best whiskies around. More austere and less aggressive than the 10 year-old, all the typical Talisker flavours are there in a subtler whole. A truly great dram.

22nd June 2012

To the gents who complained of the medicinal... I have noticed a peculiarity of the T18 which upon receipt I was somewhat disappointed. I have noticed that it takes a good 15 - 20 minutes to open up. And it is easy to tell - when the strong iodine smell has dissipated, there should be left just a moderate sweet smell which is exactly the palate you should experience.

OK - that is my two cents - and maybe will allow you to enjoy your bottle of T18 as much as I am enjoying mine - which is SUBSTANTIALLY!!

8th April 2012

I love it ,one word smoooth and long lasting on your pallet
The problem ,I cant get it it Canada.
Tooooo Baaad

11th January 2012

The best whisky I've tasted. Just perfectly balanced with sweet, salt and peat flavours and a lovely long finish. A few of us did a blind test on a few whiskies and this was everyone's favourite. Now to save up for a whole bottle. Can't wait.

25th April 2011

I'm a big fan of the 10 year old, but the 18 year old has a more mellow taste as is now my favourite malt.

8th October 2010

I think the description of "medicinal" was brilliant. But to me, it just didn't develop much from there. Maybe I'm a harsh critic but I just expect a bit more from an 18 year old.

31st August 2010

Having just returned from a trip to Skye and being unable to purhase a bottle of the 18 at the distillery..!!!..yes you read correctly, I managed to get a bottle of it in a delicattessen in the Byres Road in Glasgow.Being a massive fan of Islay Malts and all of the islands malts I really do like this 18 year old.It seems slightly more subtle than the excellent 10, and for me seems to have a slightly more complex nose and finish.I can understand why Talisker 18 has won awards..its beatiful.

19th August 2010

I have to agree MBW - it's slightly medicinal on the nose - get past that to really knock your socks off. The Talisker 18 Y/O IMHO is one of the best drams you can buy for less than $100

9th February 2010

Sitting here in the far and rather cold bit of northern canada, was with great pleasure a bottle of said T arived. Must have been away too long, as first impresion was of TCP, sorry nanny, but upto temp and away with all that god created..... a walk though the woods on an crisp novenber day were my thoughts. This is really a seriously good way to enjoy an evening. Far better than most... hate to bring the value for money thing up but my humble opinion ...... rather 1 bottle of this than several bottles of for eg:- glen.... So final score....

Tal 18yo 8, Glen (etc) 3...

try 1 and enjoy

Regads MBW

7th February 2010