Origin: Isle of Skye (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 48.6%ABV
Ageing casks: Finished in ex-Cognac
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: Yes
Owner: Diageo
Average price: € 90.00
Official website: taliskerwhisky.com
Vote: 85/100
After Surge, here is another not too limited edition of Talisker, released in 2023, which this time features a completely different label from the usual, transparent and with an elegant design, so much so that it is hardly recognisable as belonging to the distillery.
Parley is an association dedicated to the preservation of the oceans, which seeks to create awareness of the disastrous state of our seas by creating partnerships with various brands, including Talisker, which being ‘made from the sea’ appears to be the ideal partner in the world of whisky.
The partnership involves fundraising to support projects for coastal forests in Scotland, Chile and South Africa, with £3 donated by Talisker for every bottle sold. The glass is recycled and bottles are around 18,000.
Turning to the contents, it features unprecedented finishing in ex-cognac casks and an unusual strength for Talisker, while usual is the addition of colour.
Tasting notes
The nose is pungent and coastal, with white pepper punctuating lemon oysters, brine, cider, tropical fruit (pineapple, mango), unripe banana, lemon tart and a persistent sour smoke of brushwood and burnt seaweed. Touch of soy sauce. Along the length, a yoghurt plum cake anc malt aspect emerges. Crisp and pleasantly maritime.
In the mouth, it has a good oiliness, with the spicy part well evident especially at the mouth on less marked maritime impressions than on the nose, giving more space to cooked apples, lemon cream, olive oil, salty chocolate, almonds. Humidor wood and bush smoke.
The finish is quite long and dry, of red apples, salt, mineral notes, dull embers, wood.
The finishing gave some different notes than usual, well integrated into the profile of Talisker, which is rather young but still pleasant and recognisable. A slight variation on the theme which, given the good action included, may be worth the purchase.