Talisker 15 Year (2019 Special Release)

So far, these limited editions are proving quite enjoyable. It's no surprise, as this distillery is a powerhouse. However, I've seen some critiques of the annual special bottlings, but I haven't shared that sentiment yet. I'm hoping this relatively aged 2019 release will be a treat. Nose: A strong hit of toasted malt, a touch of dry oatiness (reminiscent of the inside of a porridge packet), and subtle caramel. As the pour develops, there's a slight ethanol prickle, but it's accompanied by a robust black pepper that skillfully conceals the high alcohol content. Smoke is present as a faint, peaty antiseptic note with a musty vegetal quality. Perhaps some marzipan is attempting to emerge. Palate: Wow, that's impactful. The initial taste is laced with red chili and black pepper. Once you get past that, you notice a slightly rough but full-bodied oiliness. It's quite intense. A maritime influence surfaces with significant salt, tannic wood, and a blend of fruits: raisin, peach, and dried orange peel (the kind used for garnishes). Vanillin is present but understated, possibly with dark cherry. Finish: Lingering, with hints of astringent smoke, sea spray, a touch of minerality, and a lasting chili presence. Beautifully cloudy with a few drops of water added (I assumed it wouldn't be chill-filtered?). The nose remains potent, perhaps turning a bit sour with increased mustiness, like overripe fruit or damp leaf litter. The palate isn't drastically altered, but the saltiness is amplified, and an ashiness is added to the texture. The finish is dominated by bonfire ashes and chili. This isn't a typical bottling from this distillery. The chili bite and saltiness are as expected but feel aggressive, seemingly not tempered by the extra years. The nose is most surprising, led by the malt more prominently than I'm accustomed to from this distillery, evolving into something unexpected with damp earth and sour notes. I wouldn't call this a treat, and I'm disappointed it didn't impress me. It's an interesting departure for the distillery, clearly exploring new territory for its profile. It's commendable for thinking outside the box. In a peculiar way, I'd compare it to a band you love. You cherish their classic albums, and then they release something new that's different. It's not bad, but it feels distinct. It's a bit jarring, but I'll still enjoy the rest of this drink. [This is accompanied by a rock sample. I don't know its origin or history, but its layered structure suggests it formed under specific geological conditions.] Distillery score progression: 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 2021 Special Release: 4.5/5

In 2019, Talisker released a special Diageo bottling, with a nice 57.3% abv and some unusual drawings on the label. This is part of the Diageo annual special releases. I was eager to try it, so I managed to get a couple of samples. Let's see how it went: On the nose, Sawdust with smoke. Pineapple. Detergent. Slight coconut. Milk chocolate. Prunes. Wet herbal swamp notes. Almonds. Vanilla in a rainforest. Silicone. Vanilla custard. It is not your typical Talisker full of sea profiles, this one is rather "swampy". After a first sip it gave me humid notes, pond; Meringue and Old oranges. Plastic, and artificial citrusness. The palate was nice. Vanilla. Pineapple heart. Boom!! a pepper bomb; Chilli. Wasabi. After the first sip it became maritime: Orange, Pepper. Sawdust and Sea salt. There is this meringue note everywhere. Some sea saltiness at the third sip. Aftertaste was Sweet and spicy. Crazy dips. Its like sugar debris that turn into meringue with ashes. Salt and Pepper. Talisker peat with a hint of hay and chocolate. A third sip gave me a beautiful creamy vanilla mixed with aromatic smoke. This third sip was quite amazing. Sawdust. Overall, this is, as most Taliskers, a beautiful dram. You don't even feel the alcohol and it is 57.3%abv. Having said that, it felt different than the normal profile, as I said before, it was more swampy or rainforest like. Nice whisky, cool experience, my score for it is 89 out of 100.

The aroma begins with a blend of seaside campfire smoke and creamy orchard fruit, followed by freshly roasted coffee beans and cocoa powder, then lychee, peach, and apricot, transitioning to vanilla cake, ocean waves on rocks, ginger, and a gauze bandage, with a strong alcohol burn. The taste has a rich texture, starting with a mix of seaside campfire smoke and creamy orchard fruit, then a spicy mocha topped with whipped cream, followed by lychee, caramelized peaches, and ruby red grapefruit, transitioning to vanilla ice cream, ocean waves on rocks, candied ginger, leather, and driftwood, with a strong alcohol burn. The finish is long, with moderate campfire ash, sea salt, chocolate-covered espresso beans, cave-like minerality, ginger snaps, baked orange, and ruby red grapefruit. This was an enjoyable one to analyze during the current winter storm in Virginia, featuring mild peat smoke underlying bold fruits, along with earthy spices, coffee, and chocolate that are expertly balanced. A truly excellent special edition from the producer that is still widely available.

The aroma is distinctly coastal, like sea spray and perhaps some seaweed, mingled with bright citrus and vanilla. I might have imagined it, but I thought I detected dark roasted coffee beans too. The peat is present but quite subdued. The initial taste is a strong hit from the high alcohol content, then it turns briny, with citrus and lemon zest characteristics. Freshly charred oak hogsheads emerge and gradually give way to the rounding peat. The aftertaste is lengthy and enjoyable. After adding about a teaspoon of water to a 4 cl pour, it opened up considerably, revealing more fruit and sweetness on the palate, and the aroma became more lemony and citrus-forward. This is a potent cask-strength whisky, matured in freshly charred American oak hogsheads. It's undeniably a Talisker, but quite different from the regular 10 year old I'm accustomed to!

And now for something entirely different: a fruity expression from this distillery. Peaches, blood orange, and grapefruit emerge in the profile of this satisfyingly oily dram, especially when diluted to 50%. The peaches interact with the characteristic sea spray on the nose and then strongly on the palate, where the fruit blends with a powerful peat. The finish is bright with hints of pepper, juicy fruit, and a touch of cream. Deliciously distinct from a standard offering from this distillery, the fruit notes are reminiscent of a recent bottling by another company for their series. A worthwhile limited edition.

Incredibly fruity! Smell: Pineapple, vanilla, iodine, nectarine and cream, mango, coal, smoke, apricot, almond, watermelon, raspberry, chili pepper, anise, and cinnamon. Taste: Watermelon, Luxardo cherries, raspberry, salted caramel, butterscotch, papaya, strawberry, peach, mango, passion fruit, mandarin, chili pepper, and sea spray. Aftertaste: Strawberry, coal, smoke, iodine, Luxardo cherry, watermelon, canned peaches, chili pepper, passion fruit, and mango.