Talisker 10 Year Old
Yet another distillery owned by the fairly well known and decently large corporation that is Diageo, Talisker is the only distillery on the Isle of Skye and was originally founded in 1830. The first Talisker distillery was built in 1831, however it has since been completely rebuilt after it was lost in a fire in 1960. Exact replicas of the original stills were built for the new distillery in an effort to preserve the unique Talisker flavor, and so far as I could tell you, they’ve succeeded.
It ought to be said that this is whisky is far from ideal as an introductory drink, so if you’re planning to drink this as one of your first drinks, I would suggest you rethink your position and go for something lighter. If, however, you’ve at the stage where you’ve had a few different whiskies already and wish to find new, bold flavors – this is for you. Held by many enthusiasts as a favorite every day drink, Talisker 10 year old is indeed a good whisky.
The nose offers a fantastic combination of aromas ranging from juicy autumn fruit (apples, pear) and oranges, to peaty smoke and sea salt, to warm cinnamon and spice. Definitely a nose to be savored, not rushed. Initial flavors include the sweet and warm autumn fruits found in the nose, snugly tucked in under a duvet of smoke; these well behaved flavors are followed by a much more aggressive hit of pepper and spice. The aftertaste is full of pepper, but there is also a hint of cinnamon sweetness in there. It is no wonder that Talisker is so popular, it’s delicious!
A warming dram, it’s perfect for those cold autumn and winter months. Should you enjoy a heart warming whisky on a cold and sleety day, you should certainly get acquainted with Talisker 10.
Color: Amber gold.
Nose: Autumn fruits (apple, pear), oranges, peaty smoke, sea salt, cinnamon and spice.
Taste: Autumn fruit, smoke, pepper, spice.
Want to buy this whisky? Available in: USA & World (click), UK & Europe (click)
April 4, 2012 @ 1:54 pm
The latest batches of Talisker are appalling. They leave a nasty taste in your mouth. Complaining to Diageo is a waste of your time (and money, as they won’t even reimburse you sufficently if you return a bottle). This is a real shame as previously I would have given Talisker a very good rating but unfortunately the two bottles I bought recently were not up to scratch – and I know the taste of Talisker. Diageo said they tested fine – but if you’re going to base your quality control on a computer analysis, rather than a tasting, then this is bound to happen at some point. Best avoided at present.
April 27, 2012 @ 9:57 am
Sadly, I must agree on that…. When tasting Talisker 10 recently I too felt an unpleasant taste in my mouth. ‘Is this my beloved Talisker 10 ?’ I thought, no, better avoided right now.
July 1, 2012 @ 7:56 am
I picked up a bottle on sale at the local ASDA yesterday and it was wonderful. They may be clearing out old stock?