Origin: Isle of Skye (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 45.8%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon charred
Chillfiltered: Yes
Added coloring: Yes
Owner: Diageo
Average price: € 64.00
Official website: taliskerwhisky.com
Vote: 80/100
After trying Storm, the NAS that, along with Skye, was made by the distillery to give a breather to the production of the 10-year-old, I find in my glass the version initially launched exclusively for airport duty-free in 2013.
As the name suggests, the intention is to offer a darker and more “extreme” whisky than its brother without adjectives, an effect obtained by ageing in “heavily charred” casks which should therefore have had a considerable effect on the smoky component of the distillate.
Will this be the case?
Tasting notes
The nose has a smoky note grafted onto marine and slightly peppery hints, with white peach, green apple, dried apricots, vanilla and caramel. Over time, the smoke becomes burnt plastic. Not particularly incisive and a little monotonous.
And it’s precisely the burnt plastic that enters first to the palate, with a dusting of black pepper mixed with apples, crème brûlée, walnuts and toasted wood. Touch of liquorice, widespread savouriness.
The finish is quite long, salty and toasty, with liquorice, dried fruit and wood.
It was supposed to be a version of Storm on steroids, but instead it turns out to be a storm in a glass of water: you sense the influence of charring, but it’s not as incisive as the label would lead you to believe. The aromatic palette appears a little dull and underwhelming, a rain that has diluted the Talisker distillate leaving ash in its wake. Absurdly, the persistence of the finish is better than the overall dram.
Other perspectives:
Peated Perfection