Scotch Whisky Review #260: Talisker 25 Year

Distillery: Talisker

Region: Island

Age: 25 Year. Bottled in 2017.

ABV: 45.80%

Price: Sample courtesy of /u/I_SAID_NO_GOLDFISH

Color:1.3, Russet/Muscat.

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Nose: There’s a smoky peat note that almost seems like the peat is still smoldering. You also get a nice bit of salty sea breeze along with some lemon zest. The mental image that pops in mind is getting fish and chips by the ocean.

Palate: It is lighter than I would have expected. While there is a little bit of smoke and peat, this whisky is sweeter than I might have thought it would be. It’s a slightly earthier sweetness rather than the pure sugary kind. A note that reminds me heavily of charred lemon comes through along with some over ripe fuji apples. A slightly salty Graham cracker crust with a bit of chocolate dust wraps this up. While I didn’t notice it at first, eventually this does coat your tongue with an oily kind of film.

Finish: Fairly long. More of the same here, with a bit of charred lemon, graham cracker crust, and oily sweet peat.

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Conclusion: It’s been a while since I’ve had Talisker. The 18 year was my first bottle of “nice” Scotch I bought for myself after graduating. I honestly don’t remember much of that bottle but I think this one will linger in the memory for a while. As I nosed it, I got quite a crystal clear mental image of going to get fish and chips by the ocean. The palate is quite nice with the charred lemon and Graham cracker crust going along quite nicely. It’s all quite nice but there’s something that feels like it’s missing to have that real “wow” factor to make this truly special. Would I buy a bottle? Unlikely given the price.

Final Score: 86.

Scotch Whisky Review #260, Island Review #42, Whisky Network Review #402

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Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.