Talisker 2005 / Distillers Edition

If you want smoke, but not medicinal iodine peat, try this.

I could make this a long review of complex nuances to the nose and palate, but that's already been done, so instead I'll focus on what was actually my quest: finding something more smoky and with a broader register than maybe HP and Benromach (the latter being great though), without however the medicinal / iodine / peaty elements that I can't handle (e.g. I really do not like Lagavulin). If that's your quest too, then give this one a go.

The nose keeps evolving and shifting as I nose this over a 10min period. Once it's a clear but not aggressive smoke coming through, with just a whiff of band-aid... and 2 minutes later as I revert, it's sweet sherry. It smells as I recall "whisky" from being younger, but has enough components to make it interesting. The shapeshifting character is interesting enough to spend some time just nosing it from pour to a calmer 20min later. The palate follows the nose, but with a noticeable addition of the peppery elements of hallmark Talisker. It's fruity, but mellow dark sticky fruity - more about that below. It's mouth filling and quite viscous. Circling it around and drawing some air through, it positively coats itself in a very pleasant way. To be frank, the amount of like I give this whisky was a surprise to myself.

I compared it with some of the others in the current Talisker lineup. It's slightly more intense than the Skye, which I understand is supposed to be the easier version of the 10. I'd say that it's about on par with the 10 and similar, but I (being normally a sherried drinker) missed something with the 10, that I found in the DE - a balancing sweetness that made it more complete in my humble opinion. I also compared it to the Port Rhugie; they are somewhat similar, but the P.R. is more obvious and apparent fruit (red fruits) sweet, whereas the DE is more semi-dry sticky plums and cake.

There, enough of Friday evening ramblings... I hope this is of use to someone out there that - like me - was on that "smoke, but please not medicin" quest.

Wish you all good light.

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