Talisker 2010 Distillers Edition (Bottled 2020)

Of the few Talisker expressions I’ve tried I have yet to be disappointed so looking forward to this 2020 DE. The wine barrels are showing their influence in color, with deep ambers making this NAS seem very old indeed. Nose is very prominent with salty brine and iodine first popping out looking for attention. If you close your eyes you would swear it was a dirty martini with extra olives. Over ripe stewed fruits fill the middle, but dig down under those and the peat and char smoke not only show up but wrap everything up quite cohesively as you pull away from the glass. Palate begins as the nose ended, with lightly burnt staves starting things off. Malted cereal is next which then shifts quickly into a sweetness I wasn’t expecting. Then just as fast as things started they are over. There isn’t enough oil or proof here to make it last long enough to explore. Finish is short, with some smoky vegetal flavours and hints of wood, but like the palate it’s over fast. This is a good whisky, but it’s not great because it’s over too soon. I got this as a single pour gift back in December so not sure what a bottle costs but it feels like it would be more of an affordable offering from Talisker.

Nose: Dense malt, apple, red berries. Cream, soft cherry, oak. A lot more muted than the 10. Taste: denser smoke with intense wine characteristics. Dirty burnt grass, hay. Sherry is helping to amp up the smoke. Light creamy finish with a hint of grapefruit. Nose awakens once you prime yourself with a sip. More almond and cherry notes pop out. The peat starts to subside to a more subtle smokiness and becomes very sweet with toffee and powdered sugar notes. Water makes the malt come out and it becomes very sweet and almondy with the peat punch moving to the end. 10 is more malty and fruity on the taste. Honestly the 10 is more complex but 10 years old is too young, it’s too punchy. Adding water makes it lose its complexity. The distillers edition rounds off the rough edges. It reminds me of uigedal. Definitely need to spend more time with this one but it’s getting up there in terms of my favorites so far.

I love the 10yr and the storm so this was logical next step. I gotta say Talisker seems to be one of the most volatile scotches in regards to pricing. I see it drastically different across the country and even in Texas I see wide variation. I also have to say Talisker is by far the most toffee driven profile I have encountered which I love. I mean smoked Heath bar is stamped all over the line. I think this provides a level of candy store comfort that draws so many admirers to the brand whether on a conscience level or not. This is the smoky malty goodness of the 10 yr wrapped in fruit sweetness. Its very tasty but imo the finishing dulls and flattens the notes of the 10 yr. Kinda comes off like a blend if you know what I mean. It is no doubt delicious but not worth the price bump to me......87/100

This 10 year old whisky shares a lot of similarities with the normal ‘Talisker 10’. While this expression is more fruity on the nose, it is a little unpleasant to me due to the phenols. The taste more than makes up for it and has enough peat and spice to compliment the fruityness of this whisky. The finish is sweet, peppery and overall shorter than his 10 year old brother. "Tasty" : 3.25 stars | A cut above.

Talisker 10 rounded out with red fruit sweetness. Nose: Bright red raspberries up front, undercut by rich brine and misted thoroughly with peat smoke. Palate: Nice vicosity but a little thin. Meaty with jammy red fruit, sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper. Finish: Medium length, sweet heat finish.

Color: Burnished Copper Nose: Cherry, baked apple, banana, slight smoke, sherry, cola Palate: Smooth, slightly oily, sweet, sour, lemon, grippy tannins Finish: Medium length Bottled at 45.8%. No info about chill filtering or color on the bottle.