Foreign Whisky of the Month - 08/2013: Talisker

[tanstaafl2]

If anybody knows much about what the serial numbers on Talisker bottles means I would appreciate some help!

Saw an 18 in the older box with the following numbers in black on the bottle just above the back label:

L4335CM000

04950467

A bottle in the newer package had white numbers along the bottle:

L2299CM000

06249724

Didn't seem to be any other obvious dating on either bottle. Anybody know how to interpret these numbers? Or if they even mean anything to anyone but Talisker?

Curious to know how much older the older bottle is. I think the packaging update occurred withing the last 2-3 years or so, maybe sooner.

[AaronWF]

I am not great with notes but I find it a bit sweeter and a little more "mellow" than the 18yo. Not quite as much smoke or pepper. But somewhere in the back of the palate I pick up what I presume to be some of the older whisky in the blend. Heavy and sophisticated and very well balanced to me.

Somebody put some real thought into the blend of whiskies that were used and it all seems to work. The bottles I found were about $100 and with the 18 at $120+ and heading higher it seems like a nice alternative if you can find it at a decent price.

[tanstaafl2]

Thanks tansta. The pricing I find around here is reversed, so I decided to pick up the 18yo for $100 instead. The 175th sounds like it could be an interesting bottle in the $85 range.

I will have to make a point of looking for Talisker 18 the next time I am in Chicago. Whenever that is!

[AaronWF]

I've tasted the 18yo a few times now, and I'm here to report that it's good. It's damn good. Kind of bullet proof in fact. It's a trend in the three OBs I've tasted that the blending is absolutely focused and defined. This is not a stunning whisky, but it is blessed. I'm used to enjoying my whiskies with higher highs than what I've found in the Taliskers, but all three (the 10yo, DE and 18yo) bring their characteristic traits up to a consistent level. I really like that the 18 is less sweet than the 10. The malt is more relaxed, more honied and less cloying, and stands as a better platform for the salty, sea spray smoke.

At $60, the 10 is a bit pricey: seems like more of a $45 bottle to me. $100 for the 18 is a good deal given the high price of the 10, but objectively speaking, I still think it's a little high. The problem with this distillery is that it grows on you, so the more I drink it, the more I am bound to its flavor profile; and it's a flavor profile I'm not going to find anywhere else, so it becomes a very convincing voice in divorcing me from my money.

[snifred]

I have a buddy who's more into scotch than bourbon, so I tend to try different ones at his house. I first had Talisker at his house, and it's still one of the few scotches I have at home. I find that I can't get past the smoke in Laphroaig but the balance is perfect for my palate in Talisker. And the fact that I can routinely find it under $50 makes it that much better.

[DaveOfAtl]

Late to the party here, but Talisker is one of my favorites. I picked up the 18 and the DE last year before the increase in price on the 18. I may open them this weekend to taste along with the last bit of 10 year I have left.

It is not in the budget right now, but my dream birth-year bottle is this 1981 Sherry Cask Talisker that is supposed to be otherworldly. http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-4843.aspx

[Virus_Of_Life]

Here is my new Talisker, I'll post notes soon, it's very good but think it needs a little time and water.

[WhiskyRI]

I had a neighbor over last night with whom I regularly share a dram with, although he's more of a bourbon guy. He decided he wanted a scotch so I took him down to the hoarding corner and since I was enjoying some Laphroaig Quarter cask gave him a tiny sample - he found it too peaty. I then gave him some Talisker 10 and he said that was perfect. He really liked the saltiness. T10 has really become the reliable go-to gateway dram for Peat. Enough to be interesting but also other notes providing balance. I haven't tasted any of the independent bottlings of Talisker yet - I look forward to @Virus and others' notes.

[Max Power]

Talisker 12 year Distiller's Edition (2000)? Has anyone tried this. It's available locally for $54.99. Should I pull the trigger?

[ChainWhip]

Talisker 12 year Distiller's Edition (2000)? Has anyone tried this. It's available locally for $54.99. Should I pull the trigger?

They're charging twice that here in my state - I have a bottle in the bunker but have cracked it yet... Sorry can't be more help ;-)

[Jorgemu1]

I've yet to try any Talisker. It's on my to do list. Will I like it if I'm a fan of Ardbeg or Lagavulin?

[AaronWF]

Talisker 12 year Distiller's Edition (2000)? Has anyone tried this. It's available locally for $54.99. Should I pull the trigger?

I love the DE, the Amoroso finish expertly compliments the Talisker profile. I wouldn't hesitate to pick one up for $55; it's $75 here.

[tanstaafl2]

Talisker 12 year Distiller's Edition (2000)? Has anyone tried this. It's available locally for $54.99. Should I pull the trigger?

Have liked all the DE's I have tried. Are you talking about the year distilled or bottled? TD-S:5NZ was distilled 2000 and bottled 2011. If it is bottled in 2000 that may well be better.

The DE's are a very nice whiskey that goes for about $68 here. The 10 is $57 so I would be happy to pay that for a DE!

[weller_tex]

I've yet to try any Talisker. It's on my to do list. Will I like it if I'm a fan of Ardbeg or Lagavulin?

To me, it is closer to Lagavulin than Ardbeg, but not really like either one. I think if you like either then you will like it. It is peaty, but more of a smoky, mineral peat than that sweet peat. It also has the spicy quality that to me reminds me of ginger.

[bigtoys]

One picture says it all. I like Skye's smokiness as a slightly different alternative to Islay's peat. If you do a side by side tasting, there's a subtle, but definite different.

These are all open on my bar.

[Stu]

One picture says it all. I like Skye's smokiness as a slightly different alternative to Islay's peat. If you do a side by side tasting, there's a subtle, but definite different.

These are all open on my bar.

Please be sure to include your address with my invitation!

[WhiskyRI]

It may no longer be Foreign Whisky of the Month, but I recently attended the Talisker lunch at WhiskyFest. They had the 10, Storm, 18 and 25. What I found interesting was that though the 18 was so quiet rewarding the thoughtful drinker, the 25 was back to full volume. It was my first time tasting the 25 and I was really surprised. Can't wait to taste it again and spend more time on the 25. If anyone has some spare 25 kicking around, I'll gladly swap a sample of the 18 for just a wee bit of the 25.

[ChainWhip]

Did you note the ABV on the 25yr?

[MtnDew]

Did you note the ABV on the 25yr?

I have an open 25 year Talisker from the 2004 bottling, ABV is something like 57% or 59%, I'll have to check when I'm back home. To me this is one of my favorite scotchs and this is coming from someone who is not a huge fan of peat. There is just something awesome that happens to the peated scotchs when they reach this age.

[LostBottle]

I also like the older Taliskers.

Edited October 18, 2013 by LostBottle

[ChainWhip]

Liberace ain't got nothing on that box LB! Bet that juice is tasty though...

[MtnDew]

mmmmmmm, 35 year Talisker, I bet that even puts my Talisker 25 to shame. And that box is very nice but, then again, considering the probably price of that bottle, it better come in something nice

[AaronWF]

mmmmmmm, 35 year Talisker, I bet that even puts my Talisker 25 to shame. And that box is very nice but, then again, considering the probably price of that bottle, it better come in something nice

I'd word it like this: Considering the price of that box, the juice in the bottle better be something nice

The ABV on the '04 25yo is 57.8%. I have one open as well. Now that I've moved I can open a few more bottles. I have a vertical of the 25yo from '04, the 175th, 18yo and DE ready to go. I'll have to pick up a 10yo to add to it I suppose. It's kind of hard to include the 25yo in the comparisons, though; it really is a different beast at CS. I haven't had any recent 25yo bottlings, but the 25yo I have is much closer to the profile of the 10yo than the DE (of course) or the 18yo. Much less apparent sherry on it than the current 18yo. Getting to know Talisker this way has really opened my eyes to the purposeful art of blending, and it seems to me they were going for something very different with the older 25yo. I'd love to compare to a recent 25yo bottling, but I'm much more partial to the '04 pricing...

[LostBottle]

I'd word it like this: Considering the price of that box, the juice in the bottle better be something nice

Edited October 18, 2013 by LostBottle

[MtnDew]

Agreed in regards to price and quality, although they rarely align once you hit a certain price point. That said, Serge seemed to think it was a stunner.

Also agreed, especially considering those were still cask strength and the new variants are not.