Talisker Surge

First there was a Storm (meh), then there was a Dark Storm (huzzah), now there is a Surge. Is this the progression from the storms, or is this another TRE cash grab by the evil overlords at Diageo? With the evocative story lines of Storm and Surge, the battered coastline of Skye is easy to picture. But Trevor in marketing was clearly on lunch break for this release. Surge has a throw away watered down bit of storm related text and thats it. As for a comment about whats in the juice? Literally all I know is it was matured in ex bourbon barrels. For the price of it I want to know that Cthulhu is surging form a watery abyss to cram salty demons down my throat. Alas. Still, the worst Talisker is still an enjoyable dram, so lets surge on… Nose: Salty crisp perfection. Smoke pushes through the salty wall carrying a healthy medicinal twang to the beach bonfire. Hints of toffee and mocha entwined with a vaguely floral honey. For the abrupt salt forward approach this is a delicate thing. As it sits in the glass I perhaps find a peppermint or menthol sinus opening freshness. Palate: Thinly oily with late ashiness. That gripping Talker cracked pepper to chilli is there and its delightful as always. Salty, unsurprisingly with plenty of minerality. Fresh oysters and a touch of BBQ bacon bits. Heavy on the dark chocolate, sweet notes of raisin (just about) and honied malt. After a little while I am picking up an almost soapy orange note at the front of my palate, a little odd; I’m not sure it’s supposed to be there. Finish: Long. Lingering ashy smoke, chilli bite, and an ever-present saltiness that has soft tannic toffee in the background. Surge, hmm. After being hit with a wall of salt on the nose I thought Cthulhu was coming for me after all, but it was more of a sea spray than a surging leviathan. An interesting liquid to be sure. The menthol/peppermint late in the nose; makes me wonder if there is part of the 57 North component in here? Maybe. It’s the only other Talisker I have noted it on. Hmm. The heavy blow of of the palate is a maritime smack down. But, it feels like a less refined Talisker 18, especially with the odd soapy orange at the end. I wonder what that is, the effect of sulphur perhaps? The finish is just fine, perhaps too salty stopping some of the calming vanillin coming through. Is it a Surge, it s a salt slap. It’s enjoyable, it will make you pay attention, but its not worth the asking price when the Dark Storm is a 1L for the same price or less in the TRE/NAS bracket. [Pictured here with an ‘anyolite’. This pretty thing comes from the Arusha region of Tanzania in Africa and is named after the Massai word ‘anyoli’ meaning green. Thats not an accepted name though, so best call it what it is, a corundum {ruby} - zoisite - pargasite - granofels. OK, for the sake of character count, anyolite will do. This region of Africa brings the goods every time; the Mozambique belt runs from East Antarctica, through East Africa and into Arabia. A huge mountain suture zone that formed when the super continent Gondwana came together. Along with the ocean sediments that go cooked up in this suture, ocean floor rocks also got super heated and transformed into impressive rock types like this one] Talisker running scores: T10: 4/5 T18: 4.75/5 T8 2021 Special Release: 4.5/5 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

Nose: Initially, malt and a touch of mixed fruit. After resting in the glass, the familiar Talisker brine and tarry rope notes appear. A faint seaside barbecue and the subtle scents of orange and vanilla blossoms by the coast. The peat smoke is light but present. Palate: A distinctly salty arrival that transitions to an even saltier mid-palate, like a wave surge of briny water, flotsam, and sea-wrack. The characteristic Talisker chili note is present in the late palate alongside white pepper, with malt, cereal, and mocha notes at the top. The texture is pleasantly oily, but the peat smoke is light and ashen. Finish: Medium to long. Sweet and salted (akin to salted dried fruit) with a hint of pepper and ash in the aftertaste. With subsequent sips, the briny presence intensifies, providing the finish's length. This is the first Talisker I've sampled since the regrettable new packaging was introduced. While I didn't expect changes to the existing expressions, I was surprised by the amount of brine in this new offering. The saline character nearly overwhelms, becoming a wall of salt, but pulls back just in time. However, the malt becomes more palatable as your palate adjusts rather than through any inherent quality. This sample was provided by a friend. I received it months ago but, having been busy with distillery reviews, I've only just opened my sample stash. I also bought a bottle from Duty Free recently, but after tasting the sample, I'll likely open it sooner rather than later. It's a good malt, distinctive but approachable once accustomed to it. In some ways, it resembles a saltier version of Old Pulteney 12 from years ago, suggesting it would be suitable for casual drinking. One observation: it didn't seem to benefit from water. A small amount doesn't harm it and slightly mutes the salt, but it also introduces an unpleasant sour lemon note to the palate. Overall, I felt it was best enjoyed neat. 'Good': 83/100 (3.5 stars).

Everyone is aware of my fondness for Talisker. I've always stated that if I were stranded on a deserted island after a shipwreck, and could only bring two whiskies, my choices would be Glendronach and Talisker. With that said, a relatively new, not widely advertised expression from this incredible distillery was recently launched, and naturally, I had to sample it immediately. This new Talisker is named "SURGE," and I suspect it's part of the duty-free range, in the same category as previous releases like Skye, Storm, and Dark Storm. It is, of course, bottled at the standard 45.8% ABV. On the nose, it's intensely salty and remarkably oceanic. Notes of cocoa and dark chocolate are present, along with raisins. It's like salted chocolate – quite lovely. On the palate, the dark chocolate becomes very sophisticated. It's salty and very maritime, reminiscent of oysters and scallops. The finish continues this theme, because, frankly, this profile is excellent for a whisky: chocolate, smoke, and sea salt. It possesses a wonderful smokiness and a sulfuric charm. Overall, I might be partial because I truly enjoy these kinds of maritime single malts. I've adored nearly every Talisker I've encountered, and believe me, I've tried many of their expressions (I even had a 50-year-old once, though from an independent bottler). Talisker certainly played it safe with this one, but the fact is, they can effortlessly craft a whisky, and it's likely to be amazing regardless. Fantastic stuff for a great price; my rating is 96 out of 100, with 24 points in each category. Cheers!

Currently available in the BA first lounge. A delightful peaty whiskey.

Strong taste but smooth. Spiced finish.

deep and smoky