Talisker 11 Year The Lustrous Creature of the Depths (2022 Special Release)

The narrative speaks of a mythical creature from the abyss, drawn by powerful tides, whose brilliant glow reached the distillery, imbuing the new-make spirit. That luminescence is present in the spirit, with its characteristic smokiness yielding to a bright, sweet spice uncommon for this style. Okay, jellyfish. Whatever. Let's get to it. Nose: Deep and intentional. Reminiscent of sea-sprayed wooden planks from a weathered vessel: astringent, briny, with hints of seaweed and iodine. It also carries notes of waxy furniture polish, lemon zest, vanilla, and warm, toasted malt. Palate: Oily, thick, with a saline texture. Spicy, leaning towards the chili kick typical of this distillery. A subtle, crisp sweetness like lightly caramelized apples or pears underlies a smoky flavor that's both salty and tannic. The smoke evokes BBQ but remains restrained. The tannins are well-managed, adding warmth and a touch of darkness to an otherwise bright and lively sweet malt. Finish: Extended. Drying, tannic smoke melds with more salt and finishes with lingering chili. A splash of water minimally affects the aroma but dramatically alters the taste. Fruity sweetness surges forward, nearly erasing the oily texture. The salt becomes more mineral-like and stony, though some of the depth from the furniture polish, tannic smoke, and hints of BBQ are lost for me. Best enjoyed neat, though I just detected apricot on the palate – a bright, unexpected note. I've depleted my stock of this distillery's recent releases. However, I'm pleased to have T10, Surge, Storm, and Parley X on my shelf. I can confirm that island malts are currently my top preference. This distillery consistently delivers brilliance. While they've had a few missteps in my opinion (Port Ruighe, Skye) and some merely good offerings (Storm, T15 2019), they are generally superb. When that salty smoke arrives, it's transportive. Images of wild seas, breaking waves, salty mist, and mythical beasts come to mind. I welcome it. The smoky, BBQ notes, touches of sweetness, and skillful use of tannic wood. My goodness, those folks in Skye know their craft. Much like the glowing abyssal jellyfish, this distillery could draw me in and engulf me in its depths, leaving me captivated. Distillery whisky review #263 [Shown alongside a small collection of corundum (rubies) to conclude this series of this distillery's ruby, sapphire, and emerald expressions. These originate from Madagascar, and I should mention their ancient formation through metamorphic processes under immense geological pressure and heat.] Talisker running scores: T10: 4/5 T18: 4.75/5 Skye: 3.25/5 Port Ruighe: 2.75/3 Storm: 3.5/5 Dark Storm: 4.25/5 Surge: 4/5 57 North: 4.25/5 X Parley Wilder Seas: 4.25/5 T8 2018 Special Release: 4.5/5 T15 2019 Special Release: 3.5/5 T8 2020 Special Release: 4.25/5 T8 2021 Special Release: 4.5/5 T11 2022 Special Release: 4/5

This distillery is among the finest globally. It's my favorite, alongside another, and I seek out all their releases. In 2022, a certain company offered their "Special Releases," and the one from this distillery featured a Jellyfish, an inhabitant of the deep sea, which is the current theme for this distillery's expressions. This naturally cask-strength spirit was bottled at 55.1% ABV. On the nose, it's a bit muted, not the best from this distillery ever. Apple, salt. Evokes the beach; a dessert, surprisingly sweet. On the palate, it's delightful; it recovered its stride. Tart gooseberries, salty prunes, a pleasant red pepper note, and milk powder. After the initial taste, it transformed into sweet vanilla ice cream. The aftertaste is its strongest feature. A pronounced salty note; kelp, a general maritime feel. Truly remarkable. Star anise. Overall, this is very enjoyable; it doesn't feel like a natural cask-strength dram, and the 55.1% ABV is not noticeable. It lacks complexity, and the muted nose is its biggest drawback. In conclusion, this is a very good single malt, but not the most exceptional from this distillery you'll ever have. It still ranks highly, but for this distillery, they could certainly do better. My score is 89 out of 100.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual Premium Whisky Tasting, 14 January 2023). Smell: smoked meat, snack crisps, wood polish, citrus, sea salt/brine Taste: sweet, spicy, smoky peat, fire, charred wood, dried fruit, salt/brine. Savory salted caramel End: Lingering finish. Spicy, dry smoky wood, salty. More dry peat. First fill ex-bourbon casks. This is a sweeter and saltier variation than the standard 10 year old. Quite enjoyable and very easy to drink - a quaffable dram! The peat is not as 'in your face' as the standard range, so this is somehow softer and milder than normal. Came last out of the six drams, with 4% of the final vote for favorite of the night. 64% of those present said they enjoyed the scotch.

Color: Pale yellow. Smell: Peppercorns, hot peppers, sweet red berries, and a whisper of vanilla. You can discern both the former bourbon and red wine cask aging. Taste: Very much like a typical Talisker. Gentle smoke, saltiness, and a peppery kick. A touch of light fudge and sweetened apples too. End: Sharp and full. Bold barrel character with smooth, substantial, savory tastes. Smoked pork fat comes to mind. With Water: Mild peat combines with meadow flowers on the nose. The taste and end show more of the bourbon barrels' sweeter notes, with just a little salty oyster brine.

Gentle peaty smoke on the nose. Vanilla wood, orchard fruits. Mild smokiness, revealing some peat that grows into stronger smoke on the palate. A very smoky and peaty finish. This is wonderful.

Great nose, perfectly balanced and simply amazing. Some smoke on the palate but mainly a burst of spice. Intense and spicy, very strong but it handles the proof well. I like this.