Talisker 25 Year

Ah, Talisker. As a certain actor once said: I like you. I like you a whole lot! So much so, I've acquired every bottle in your standard lineup up to the 30-year-old. I'd also consider the 40 if the price dropped a bit: $3400 is a bit excessive. But, I'm getting sidetracked... The Talisker 25-year-old (from 2011). I purchased this bottle for $275 a few years back while trying to complete the aforementioned standard range collection. On a dare, I opened it to resolve a disagreement about what many were claiming was an inferior product. As it turns out, it was the 2017 bottling that was causing quite a stir. My 2011 was perfectly fine, actually quite excellent. This was bottle #1613 of 5946 from 2011. It was the first batch of the 25-year that wasn't offered at cask strength. You'd have to go back to 2009 or earlier for one of those. Dang. It has a rich gold color in the glass. Very oily with medium-sized legs forming after swirling. Bottled at Talisker's preferred strength of 45.8% ABV. The nose starts as all Taliskers do - briny, sea salt, the seashore. I can almost hear the seagulls. Allow it some time to warm up and relax after you aggressively inhale, and it will reward you with ripe raspberries, orchard fruits, and baker's chocolate. A faint wisp of smoke rises, filling the air like a summer backyard barbecue. The smoke is light, yet it lingers heavily. That's heavenly in my opinion. The palate brings you back to the Atlantic Isles with peppery dock wood, smoke, and peat. Earthy mushroom notes, leather-bound books, and malted apples with that wonderful briny foundation. Everything is moderately dry, but there's absolutely no harshness. It is 25 years old, after all. The finish is long and luscious, with chocolate smoke that is rich and enduring. The salty finish at the very end prevents it from being too sweet, which also brought a big smile to my face. If the earlier, cask-strength bottles are considered much better than the diluted versions, then, wow, where do I sign up to give my right arm for one? Seriously. This spirit is on the verge of perfection, especially if you love Talisker. My only complaint: it costs $275. You can get about 85% of the way there with a $78 bottle of the 18-year-old. Which makes you wonder: why buy this one? Well, I'll tell you why - because you can't take it with you, my friends. Spend that paycheck and treat yourself. You deserve it. You really do. 4.75 stars. Cheers.

Nose: Bright lemon rind and pulp mingle with the mildest aromatic smoked tobacco. A whisper of salt air is present, accompanied by honeysuckle, strawberry preserves, tangerine, ripe peach, vanilla flower, lilac, and rose. After 20 minutes, the aroma gains substance, developing a leathery character while retaining its initial light smoked fruit essence. Later, a more robust tobacco emerges, and after 40 minutes, this whisky continues to unfold. The smoky quality here is distinct and superior to any other smoky spirit. It's magnificent. Palate: Superb. Intricate yet straightforward, with evolving layers of flavor. The beginning and progression are so interwoven they can't be separated. Gentle peat smoke, honey, plums, various berries, barley candy, marzipan, a hint of pepper and sweet chili, deep leather notes, sugared hazelnuts, Pontefract cake, squill sweets, honey jumbles, tea cake, sweet red apples, smoked fish, smoked salmon, caramel – this barely covers it. The characteristic Talisker chili heat remains, now a gradual warmth that spreads through the senses late on the palate, like a pleasant afternoon. Finish: Extended. Remarkably refined and fruity, with subtle smoke and a delightful savory depth, the palate's journey elegantly fades into the distance. A flawless whisky. Perfectly crafted, alluring, wonderfully textured – the harmony and equilibrium are breathtaking and moving; it demands to be experienced. It's pricey, but its value is undeniable. This is the ultimate choice for isolation. "Outstanding": 90/100 (5 stars)

I acquired a sample of this from a retailer. I wasn't willing to spend over $300 to find out if I enjoyed it. This spirit truly surprised me. I'm a big fan of Talisker. Their 10-year-old is among my preferred peated Scotches, featuring a pleasant light peat and that signature salty brine that makes it so wonderful. I've had the Talisker 10 and Storm numerous times and assumed the 25-year-old would offer a similar experience, just elevated. Let's get to my tasting notes for the full story: Nose: Adhesive, unripe banana, musty, subtle tangerine, light pepper with time, and finally, towards the end, spicy BBQ baby back ribs. Taste: sweet melon! Salty seaweed, rainbow sherbet ice cream! Where's the peat? The texture is light, leaning towards watery, but the flavors are potent. Finish: Cantaloupe! Relatively short. I'm quite conflicted about this whiskey. In many ways, it's a fine drink! However, I was anticipating the classic Talisker profile, and this is a completely different character. It has so much unexpected fruit. It's as if they swapped the peat/smoke for fruitiness. It was an enjoyable tasting experience, but I wouldn't spend $300 on it. I know of many more intriguing spirits available for under $100 a bottle. I understand that at 25 years old, maintaining stock is difficult, but this simply doesn't justify the price. I suggest getting a sample and giving it a try. Perhaps for some, it will be worth purchasing a full bottle.

The 2011 bottling at 45.8% ABV. A starter for a birthday weekend in DC, with extravagant pours and bottles planned. This was enjoyed at Minibar, where the remainder of the bottle was given, filling a Glencairn halfway. We can call it a generous 3 ounces. Sipping this during a 20-course tasting menu at a 2 Michelin starred restaurant feels unfair, but this dram held its own. It wasn't as intricate as the food, but it complemented many of the briny and gamey dishes very well. Imagine the ocean transformed into silk. The aggression found in the 10 year old, refined in the 18 year old, is completely subdued in the 25. Because it doesn't try to assault your senses, you can appreciate the complex layers. Thick, brined fruitiness on the aroma. Grapefruits, mandarins, pears, peaches. Lightly floral. On the palate, layers of gentle oceanic flavors and fruits melded perfectly together. Seaweed, kelp, rope, iodine, and still a touch of antiseptic medicinal peat, but exceptionally well-rounded. Buttery, silky, with subtle honey, oak, spices, and that medicinal peat on the conclusion. My wife, who favors Macallan and ordered a pour from some Macallan diamond earring cask, disavowed Macallan publicly and declared Talisker her favorite after tasting this. Excellent! Time to acquire this bottle, and one of the even superior 1985 maritime edition. 95 / 100

Aroma: pure poetry, the stormy sea contained within, with very light smoke and an equally light peatiness. I don't detect anything else, and that makes it perfect. Palate: a touch of saltiness, sweet, velvety. A hint of alcoholic spice on the tip of the tongue, otherwise consistently salty, but here I don't taste smoke, only light peat. Warm and enveloping. Finish: warm and long. Perfect. A spectacular whisky. You take a sip and feel like you're in a seaside house in Scotland, with the storm raging outside and the fireplace burning. Phenomenal. Rating 5.00+

It's a Talisker, what else would you expect but a perfect score for a 25-year-old expression? Impossible. In truth, I don't think this is the finest Talisker I've ever had. It's excellent, and I'd happily drink it anytime, but it feels significantly less impactful than the 30-year-old and not superior to the 18-year-old. It's wonderful, just not mind-blowing. Bottled at the classic Talisker 45.8% ABV, it has a burnished gold hue. The aroma is intense. Leather. Smoked heather. Scorched grass. Sulfur. A shoe box. Lemongrass. Pepper. Embers. Allowing it to breathe reveals aged caramel; rich and charred. Is that a hint of cherry? I believe I detected cherry. After the initial taste, the familiar Talisker toffee note emerges. Absolutely remarkable. On the palate: Citrus, Spice, Toffee, Lemon; everything feels mature. The peated smoke is sophisticated and delightful. The finish brings smoked heather, Pepper, Ashes. Fire, ash, and sulfur. So elegant. Astonishingly long and saline. Ultimately, this is Talisker amplified, not better than the 18-year-old and no worse than the 30-year-old. It seems to strike a perfect balance between the two. A bit pricey. 100 out of 100. Long live the King of Talisker.