I think at this point we’re running out of Taliskers to try. So while the original 10 year has been something that we like well enough, and gives us enough uniqueness to pick it up every once in a blue moon, this is sadly a different case. We picked up the 18 year for a recent convention, and while it’s a great scotch, we wanted so much more from an 18 year old scotch, and an 18 year old Talisker.
Sadly it’s just a bit above average. Talisker has always been nice on the aftertaste, but the problem is that much like Justice reviewed – I’d likely take Talisker Storm if given the option and price (and that’s a full 30 dollars less). To be fair it could simply be that while yes, Talisker is fairly good – at a point aging doesn’t give you the exponential quality that some other whiskies provide. Anyway I have a novel to write so let’s go onto what they say.
What they Say: “Box: Talisker is the only Single Malt Scotch Whisky made on the Isle of Sky beside the shore of Loch Harport in hte jagged shadow of the peaks of The Cuillin.
Founded in 1830 by Hugh MacAskill. Talisker distillery remains faithful to traditional values. A hundred and eighty years of knowledge has been passed down through generations of distillers.
The result if this much prized whisky described by famous Scottish poet Robert Louis Stevenson as the ‘the king o’ drinks’. Made by the sea in every sense, the powerful peat-smoky, maritime character of Talisker reflect its storm-lashed surroundings.
The deep and stormy side of Talisker is calmed a little in this mature 18 year old, sweetly rich and warming with just a hint of smoke, and a subtle peppery finish.
Great with a grilled tuna steak, with or without a dash of water.
Bottle: From the rugged western shores of the Isle of Skye comes a richly flavoured, maritime malt with a warming afterglow. So easy to enjoy yet, like Skye itself so hard to leave.”
Taste: 5.0 – The initial taste is standard faire, possibly lower for an 18 year.
Aftertaste: 7.0 – It’s got a couple different flavors going on, and some of them are very subtle, and it goes on for quite a while.
Burn/Smooth: 7.0 – It’s pretty smooth, and while there’s a bit of power, it’s still silky.
Aroma: 6.5 – Certainly has power and gravitas that I would want from an 18n year old scotch, but it’s not great.
Honesty: 8.25 – Not really that wanky, Talisker itself is fairly well established. Also Tuna Steak.
Mixability: 4.75
W/ Rocks: 4.75 – That really opens up the oaky wood flavor, but I’m not sure if I like the loss of the subtly.
Value: 4.0 – While this is really cheap for an 18 year old scotch, there’s others I would rather get for this price.
Google Shop Average: $105
Website: http://www.malts.com/index.php/en_us/Our-Whiskies/Talisker
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 6.0
DJ Lvl: 6.5
Want to compare this spirit against our archives? Visit our statistics page.
Metric Score: 42.5/70 |+| Metric Average: 6.07 |+| Reviewer Average: 6.25
New to Honest Booze Reviews, or just wondering how we score? See our FAQ/Review Policy.
Final Thoughts: Make no mistake this is a great scotch, the problem is that if asked to get an 18 year old scotch again – I likely would choose many others over Talisker.
