General description
There are things in the world that we take as benchmarkly good/quality/etc. Now you probably understood , what I’m going to say about Talisker 10. Let me get a little out of our beloved whisky discipline. I love stouts: for me Guinness is the greatest. I love lagers: nothing better for me than Grolsch. And if you have ever met these drinks, it’s nothing difficult to see what they have in common. The manner of taste — it’s plain, it’s straight. And it’s great, as you taste only what is meant to be there. It’s not that easy to accomplish, it’s far more difficult to accept this noble plainness. Let’s get to whisky already.
There is meant to be oak somewhere there? You get it. Subtle and quite intertwining with peat...
Oh yes, did you want to see peat? Enjoy it. It’s just like you’ve made a campfire out of wet oak firewood and peat chunks you found in nearby swamps. Peat is notable, yet not as overwhelming as in AyeSLAY guys.
Do you still remember you are about to drink a fine whisky from islands? Then, please, have a little bit of sea in your glass.
This mixture of oak, peat and iodine on a nose is simple and simply great. Water ruins everything: it brings absolutely unnecessary for this whisky vanilla, which tends to be quite dominant.
Once had a dram, I expected a bit more harshness, keeping in mind 45.8% abv. Thereby, I am quite intrigued by Talisker cask strength or simply higher abv editions. Arrival is slow: only after 4-5 seconds you get spice coming in. And once you swallow, there is a clear taste of sea salt and impression of an ashy peat, which is a little different from what you’ve nosed.
The finish is moderate with a saltiness staying on a tongue for a little time and peat being substituted by noble bitterness that lasts a little longer.
Here is my not unbiased verdict: Talisker 10 is a benchmark whisky made with a great quality, an extreme devotion to the genre and a room to become even better.
Palate
Black pepper, ashy peat, sea salt
Finish
Short salty finish and longer peaty bitterness
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