Origin: Isle of Skye (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 59.4%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon Hogshead First Fill
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: No
Owner: Diageo
Average price: € 150.00
Official website: taliskerwhisky.com
Vote: 90/100
After a long absence, we return to Skye whisky and the special version that is released annually with other distilleries in Diageo’s huge portfolio.
Below is a list of all the Talisker bottlings released to date:
2001 – 28yo at 43.3% + 25yo at 59.9%.
2002 – 20yo at 62%.
2003 – 20yo at 58.8%.
2004 – 25yo at 57,8%.
2005 – 25yo at 57,2%.
2006 – 25 yo at 56.9% + 30 yo at 51.9% 2007 – 25 yo at 58.1% + 30 yo at 59.9%
2007 – 25years at 58.1% + 30years at 50.7%.
2008 – 25 yo at 54.2% + 30 yo at 49.5%.
2009 – 25yo at 54.8% + 30yo at 53.1%.
2010 – 30yo at 57.3% + 30yo at 53.1%
2012 – 35yo at 54.6% + 30yo at 53.1%
2013 – 27yo at 56.1% + 30yo at 53.1%
2018 – 8yo at 59.4%
2019 – 15yo at 57.3% 2019
2020 – 8yo at 57.9%
As can be seen, these were initially very important (and particularly expensive) ages, and after a 5-year break it was decided to drastically reduce the age of the casks.
Produced in 4,680 examples, this bottling is, as always, cask strength and (it seems) without additional colouring.
Tasting notes
Full gold in the glass.
A textbook coastal and peaty nose, which needs to breathe to tame the roar of the alcohol. The typical notes of the distillery can be found: ocean, pepper, light smoke… delicate but clear-cut tones, accompanied by nectarine, vanilla and a hint of cinnamon.
The palate warms and tingles under the heavy alcohol content, which does not overflow but pushes the ocean waves, almost like being near the rocks with iodine and salt filling the air. The peat expresses itself in the seaweed wrapped around freshly caught fish placed on the grill, sprinkled with paprika and black pepper, which you wait for ready to disgorge from vanilla pineapple caramelised in brown sugar. The aromas are clear, decisive, powerful, strong in their youth and alcohol content, there is no room for subtlety or elegance. There is no room for subtlety or elegance. And the grill must also have had some tabasco sauce on it, I think.
The finish is long, salty, of ash (not much, all things considered) and bacon, pepper and grilled fish.
An uncompromising Talisker, naked and raw, which is almost harmless on the nose and then proves to be aggressive in the mouth, without compromise.
And I like it, and how I like it.