Ever heard the phrase “a storm in a teacup”? They were talking about Talisker. To savour Talisker 10 Years Old is to expose oneself to a truly elemental experience. You can almost feel the North Atlantic waves crashing and raging against the rocky shores of the Isle of Skye – a blast of sea spray hits your face. This is a deep, dark, stormy whisky. As you might have guessed, Talisker 10 Years Old is not for the fainthearted. It is a powerful, immensely flavourful, primal force that will dry you and warm you after the wettest and coldest winter’s evening. A perfect winter spirit.
Pour a dram and you could be nosing this for hours. Iodine and brine immediately assault the senses by merely uncorking the bottle. There is quite a bit of peat smoke enveloping the nose, but not in the same as an Islay whisky. This is a maritime malt – sea spray, salt, oysters, wet sand, fishing nets, zesty lemon rind. The nose is pungent and reeks of the sea – sounds awful, smells and tastes magnificent.
Bottled at a pleasing 45.8% ABV, makes for a dense and full bodied whisky. The arrival is potent and deeply satisfying – thick clouds of smoke, iodine, fruity peat and boatloads of maritime notes. The palate delivers the expectations set by the aroma beautifully.
Conjures images of seafarers and swashbucklers – a true flavour of the sea.
The finish goes on and on…and on, peppery and dry. A bonfire on the beach. An unmistakeable malt, once tasted, never forgotten. One of the great classics.
Appearance: Rose Gold.
Nose: Iodine, smoke, sea spray, citrus.
Palate: Fruity peat, sooty smoke, the sea and the shore.
Finish: Huge. Pepper, spice, embers.
Written By Jared Brown
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