• Join, for peat' sake

    • talisker 10 year old

    Talisker 10 Year Old 87
    Distillery
    Talisker
    Style
    Single Malt
    Release
    Unspecified
    Age
    10 Years
    Alcohol
    45.8% abv.
    Region
    Scotland, Island
    Bottled For
    Distillery

    On the shores of Loch Harport, the village of Carbost is home to Skye’s only distillery producing a wonderfully powerful and award-winning Island malt bottled at above average strength.

    review by tinfoilhat

    90
    Color
    Golden Orange
    Nose
    Sweet malt, peat, marshmallow, honey, some smoke.
    Body
    Creamy, syrup
    Palate
    Peat, light sweet smoke, some salt, pepper/spice at the back of the tongue.
    Finish
    Long, drying, pepper burn

    Reading the other comments makes me wonder about the consistency of this whisky. I get no iodine, restrained peat, light smoke - nowhere near Bowmore, nevermind Ardbeg or Lagavulin. Dead fish? Oysters? I don't get any brine from my sample. My bottle is very well balanced, a perfect halfway between the better Speysides and the medium hitting Islays. Wonderful stuff.

    review by thegrinch

    93
    Color
    Golden orange
    Nose
    As soon as the liquid leaves the bottle, before my nose gets anywhere near the glass, there is already a tantalizing whiff of spicy peat in the air. Raising the glass and inhaling brings a strong medicinal/hospital smell with what seems to be a hint of 'dip' (skoal, etc).
    Body
    Smooth and moderately oily
    Palate
    Salty peat delivered on a velvet pillow. Strong and forceful without being abrasive. The perfect middle ground in-between The Peatless and something like Lagavulin or Laphroaig.
    Finish
    A wonderful, peaty, peppery burn! That was not dip I detected earlier, but only the foreshadowing of a delicious afterburn that, true to it's reputation, can be described only as "peppery".

    This whisky is fantastic. Period. I stop at a rating of 93 only because I have yet to try every whisky on the planet and I must leave upward room for the unexpected!

    review by anonymous

    50
    Color
    amber
    Nose
    water that had dead fish swimming in it.
    Body
    medium
    Palate
    A great pepper taste, but all was ruined because of the taste of dead fish swimming in or around the aging process.
    Finish
    long pepper finish.

    I also find it very hard to believe any one likes this single malt. SO much POTENTIAL but all is ruined by the over whelming dead fish water taste.

    review by anonymous

    70
    Color
    Amber
    Nose
    Peat, smoke, fruity, citrus, sweet
    Body
    Full
    Palate
    Rather unbalanced. I was not at all impressed with the combative contrast of the sweetness and the smokiness.
    Finish
    Long

    I really wasn't very happy with this scotch. I don't plan on trying it again.

    review by williamson

    88
    Color
    Ambergold
    Nose
    Subtle salt, with a hint of sweetness. Such balance, such grace. Some sawdust and woodchips, barley and honey.
    Body
    Slightly dry, smooth but fierce.
    Palate
    Fierce dryness, seasalt and lemon. Bittersweet and well-balanced, with some smoked fish.
    Finish
    Long and refreshing, a bit sweet. No one was lying about that peppery finish either, what a dram this is.

    This is everybody's friend, such character and style. Great balance, appetizing taste, fine finish. One of a kind.

    review by coloradodram

    91
    Color
    Shiny golden amber.
    Nose
    Vanilla, honey, fermenting apple. Not the plume of volcanic peat I would expect given what I know is coming.
    Body
    Thin oil - this is possibly where it most shows its youth.
    Palate
    Prickly pepper, especially on the back of the tongue when you roll it around. A fine balance of salty sweet too.
    Finish
    This is where its peat smoke shines - in a wonderfully smooth, very warm, medium-length prickly pepper with sweet afterbreath finish.

    This might just be the best 10 year on the planet - worthy to sit side-by-side with much older scotches. It takes water well if you want to reduce the ABV, and it's priced right. It may not be terribly complex, but it's dangerously tasty (so be careful out there!)

    review by catka

    95
    Color
    Golden Amber, to light golden bronze
    Nose
    Light peat
    Body
    Light smooth and warming
    Palate
    Light peat, sea salt, peppery sweet
    Finish
    Gradual warming to a peppery bite that lingers long and tingley on the lips, tongue and gums!!

    This is the tops of the Islay malts!! The mild smoke and peat give way to a sweet warming peppery bite of a finish that has spoiled me for comparable single malts!!

    review by frombeyond

    91
    Color
    bronze
    Nose
    iodine, the ocean, smoke, etc ...
    Body
    thick and full bodied
    Palate
    great structure, peppery, smokey and spicey
    Finish
    long finish with white pepper

    Great whisky, a Classic and priced nicely. If you like pepper and smoke, you''ll love this scotch.

    review by anonymous

    90
    Color
    Amber
    Nose
    a peat monster!
    Palate
    sea salt, yet sweet.
    Finish
    a lingering peppery finish

    Best scotch for the price. No matter what I try, it always gets compared to Talisker, a rich, distinctive, and complex whisky. A fantastic, bold drink!

    review by mandrake

    86
    Color
    Gold with reddish-amber hints
    Nose
    Peaty and salty. Bit of smoke and heather. Slight sweetness.
    Body
    Medium bodied, slick and a bit oily.
    Palate
    Salty, fair bit of peat and grassiness. Oak, with some dryness as well.
    Finish
    Hot and sharp in the finish, pepper and salt.

    Distinctive and enjoyable, a real bargain at the price.

    review by mishima

    95
    Color
    Always a little darker than I remember, a roan bronze
    Nose
    A gentlemanly peat takes his glove and smacks you in the face. Not a woodsy smoke, but more akin to the odour of brisket smoking on a cold day. There is more here, sherry, not shy, only reservedly reticient. A sea brine sweetness joining the peat smoke and sherry together.
    Body
    Creamy, light but mouth filling at once.
    Palate
    Somewhat sweeter than you would expect lurking under the smoke. There is sherry, spice and oak here, all swaddled in that nebulous peat haze that comes to the fore and retreats in turn. Just a hint of the pepper to come.
    Finish
    The peppery finish this whisky is (in)famous for. A long, long burn that stars like a screaming siren from the distance, speeding and blueshifting into your mouth it fills your senses with 4 alarm fire. Eventually it fades to a prickle that will stay for several minutes unless you douse it with water, or another sip.

    Gracefully beautiful, enticing and over the top, it is a Shakespearean tragedy, crafted perfectly from beginning to end, and yes with the vicious bloodbath which steals the show and hushes the crowd right before the curtain closes.

    review by mudshark

    93
    Color
    Gold Amber hinting at Ochre
    Nose
    Sweet floral aroma, slight smoke, hint of peat and honey, Oak wood and leather from an Old World Tavern
    Body
    Smooth, slight syrup, nice body
    Palate
    Warm buttery chocolate, then sea salt, dry oak and pepper
    Finish
    Very long, warm and soothing. Hint of Dark Chocolate.

    This one's like an inviting mature woman sidling up to the bar. I always have a bottle of this in the cabinet. A standard to which I compare others.

    review by touch

    95
    Color
    Golden amber.
    Nose
    Smoke, sea, brine.
    Body
    Full body, dry.
    Palate
    Spice, oak, pepper, hint of peat. Smooth & dry.
    Finish
    Long, smooth, spicy. Strong influence of pepper.

    An excellent balance of spice, pepper, wood, peat and sea elements. Smooth yet full flavored,

    review by eddie

    90
    Color
    Amber, Gold
    Nose
    A Little Smoke, , Seaweed, Hay, Oysters and Peat, Very Balanced.
    Body
    Full Body, a little Syrupy.
    Palate
    Peat, Pepper, Oak, and Spicy. also a little Buttery.
    Finish
    Spicy, Dry, Pepper and Long, All the tastes stay for the ride.

    I found this to be a very GOOD dram and I'am looking forward to the next time I pull this cork.. This one has a good strong Whisky taste and feel, The way I like it.

    review by colin

    87
    Color
    Red Amber
    Nose
    Brine, Sea smells, Gentle, Floural, Slightly metalic
    Body
    Very dry, Medium heavy
    Palate
    Alcohol, Sour, Very floural, Salt.
    Finish
    Long and warming in the bellly.

    This one likes a little water. I found it too sweet and briney, and a little bit sour.

    review by dramiel mchinson

    91
    Color
    Golden in full light
    Nose
    sweet heather, earthy peat, hint of Spring peppermint with sisal rope and lnseed oil; fine leather and wisp of smoke
    Body
    medium body rich in flavor
    Palate
    sweet, warm fruit cobbler and spice, drier on mid palate with peat and oak notes.
    Finish
    Long, smooth and warm; black pepper, spice fading on smoked peat.

    This whisky is the courtship; blossoming love and conjugal act followed by a satisfying smoke and sweet dreams.