Talisker 10 Year Old
Isle of Skye, I solute thee!
0 289
Review by @AKGcandlefish
- Nose23
- Taste22
- Finish22
- Balance22
- Overall89
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Color: gold.
Nose: salty peat and iodine. Water brings out a little more smoke, but this isn't what I would call a smokey Scotch. More like the smell of ash the morning after a bonfire. But the peat and iodine are way out front. After a few minutes, I begin to pick up citrus and vanilla, just out of reach behind the iodine. It kind of teases you.
Body: full and chewy.
Palate: a little smokier than the nose, but the peat and iodine are still most prominent. I also taste wood chips and buttered, whole-wheat sweet bread, and a hint of black licorice.
Finish: long and warm. Smokier still than the palate. It takes a second for the pepper to burst forth, but even then, the pepper isn't nearly as overwhelming as reputed. Definite black licorice and cough syrup after-taste. Everything from my lips to the back of my throat feel warm and numb for minutes after I've finished my glass.
I got to open my anniversary present a day early -- a ten year for my ten year -- and it did not disappoint. I've heard so many stories of this being painfully peppery or overwhelmingly medicinal. Neither proved true for my mouth. I probably would have hated this a year ago, but now it strikes me as a pretty well-balanced and smooth option among the more challenging whiskeys out there. This isn't my favorite, but I could easily see myself alternating between this and the Laphroaig Quarter Cask in my cabinet.
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I poured myself a glass of this tonight (after not having it for quite some time) and then remembered you had mentioned you were gonna try it sometime soon. Interesting to see you arrived at the pepper and smoke notes (as I did). I always thought this was going to be "plumes of smoke" as described by some reviews, but, since my very first sip I was surprised how timid the smoke notes really are. It reminds me of how Highland Park 12 evolves. The peat never hit me with HP12 off the bat, instead it popped up and lurked around in the finish, lingering on and on. However, with the Talisker, its the smoke that really pops up in the finish. Letting this one sit with water really releases the iodine, which I'm really enjoying. (strangely enough!)