Talisker
- OWNER: DIAGEO
- FOUNDED: 1830
- REGION: HIGHLANDS
Though Talisker is a lovely whisky, it has a not-so-lovely origin story. Its founders, Hugh and Kenneth McAskill, were clearance landlords, meaning they used recently passed laws to evict small tenant farmers from their land. In search of new sources of revenue, they founded the Talisker distillery in 1830 (naturally, they also raised sheep). Though it is only moderately peated (25 ppm), Talisker is known for its campfire-and-seaweed character, thanks to its complex distillation process—it features very tall wash stills and a purifier pipe, but also worm tubs that reduce the spirit’s contact with copper. Until 1928 it was triple-distilled, and until 1972 the distillery malted its own barley. It was a favorite of Robert Louis Stevenson, among many, many others over the years.
Talisker
Distillers Edition
Akin to the Distillers Edition from Oban—another Diageo distillery—this Talisker is the standard ten year old, aged in ex-bourbon casks, then finished for a few more months in amoroso sherry casks.
- PRICE $$ · RATING
- AGE 10 years old
- ALC/VOL 45.8%
- NOSE Toast, salt air, dried pipe tobacco, roast chicken, citrus, vanilla, honey, and a bit of sherry; water just dilutes it.
- PALATE A peaty backbone, with vanilla, honeycomb, fruit juice, and a bubblegum-sweet mid-palate; the finish dries on the tongue, with chili flakes and campfire.
- GENERAL A brilliant marriage of restrained peat and sherry notes. The nose is deep and luscious; it’s almost a shame to have to drink it.
Storm
Diageo unveiled this whisky in 2013 to rave reviews, winning Whisky Advocate’s Highland/Islands single malt of the year. To achieve its “darker” profile, the whisky is aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and “rejuvenated” casks, in which the insides have been scraped and recharred.
- PRICE $$ · RATING
- AGE No age statement
- ALC/VOL 45.8%
- NOSE Sweet smoke, sausage, stewed cherries, a slight salinity, the eggy creaminess of vanilla crème brûlée; water brings out a bit of bright berries.
- PALATE Light smoke, bacon, lemon, lentil stew; it’s sweeter with a bit of water. Smoke lingers on the finish.
- GENERAL While the whisky has its fans, it’s hard to see why one would pick the Storm over the 10 Year Old, given their similar price points.
Aged 10 Years
One of the truly classic single malts, yet very much cut from its own cloth. The 10 Year Old is an introduction to the Talisker range, but make sure to stop and enjoy it before pressing on to older expressions.
- PRICE $$ · RATING
- AGE 10 years old
- ALC/VOL 45.8%
- NOSE Campfire, roasted meat, barbecue chips, paprika, sweat, citrus, potting soil, mushrooms, rye bread, and chlorine; water elicits sherry and cherry notes.
- PALATE Taco meat, popcorn, sweet cinnamon, smoky but not overly so; water makes it sweeter. The finish is minty and musty, like menthol cigarettes.
- GENERAL A unique but all-purpose whisky; have it on a cold evening before dinner, or pair it with smoked seafood during a meal. Or just kick back beside the fire afterward.
Talisker
Aged 18 Years
The same as the 10 Year Old—aged in ex-bourbon barrels—just with an additional eight years on it.
- PRICE $$$ · RATING
- AGE 18 years old
- ALC/VOL 45.8%
- NOSE Dashi broth, green bananas, grape skins, broken granite, sea air, wet rope, bonfire smoke, strawberries, and caramel; with water, you’ll find barley soup, seaweed, peat, and Irish Spring soap.
- PALATE A thick mouthfeel with a big hit of strawberries and sweet bread up front, then a dash of peat, smoked meat, dill, and seaweed; water makes the smoke more assertive but the fruit notes remain. The long finish shows saltwater taffy, beef broth, chocolate, and minerality.
- GENERAL Balanced but robust, literally smack between Islay and the Highlands. There are worlds to discover in this whisky.
Aged 25 Years
The 25 Year Old was once only available as part of Diageo’s Special Releases series, at cask strength. It’s now part of the core range, and at a more manageable proof.
- PRICE $$$$ · RATING
- AGE 25 years old
- ALC/VOL 45.8%
- NOSE Moss, white pepper, salty meat, cracked rocks, deli ham, cloves, toasted almonds, sweet grass, and honey; water elicits campfire smoke, cherries, dried ginger, flowers, and the incense-soaked air of an old church.
- PALATE Full-bodied and smoky, with a savory, cherry-smoke, peppery palate; water turns it drier and spicier. The long, complex finish has pencil shavings, Ritz crackers, and salt.
- GENERAL For the typical American palate, this whisky has it all—salty, savory, smoky, sweet, spicy. It is hard to imagine a better single malt than this.
Aged 30 Years
Like the 25 Year Old, the 30 used to be part of Diageo’s Special Releases series, released at cask strength, but is now in the core range (albeit in limited quantities).
- PRICE $$$$ · RATING
- AGE 30 years old
- ALC/VOL 45.8%
- NOSE Sharp and musty, with root beer, honeysuckle, pears, incense, cigar ash, and turmeric; water adds maple syrup, leather, ginger, and jerky.
- PALATE Smoked meat, menthol, and a deep fruitiness at the mid-palate; water adds orange peel, tea, and a bit of ash and dried ginger. The medium-length finish has cocoa and more smoked meat, along with ash and black pepper.
- GENERAL Less sweet and less smoky than the 25 Year Old, and slightly less interesting—though still an amazing expression. Between the two I’ll take the 25, but I won’t argue against the 30 either.