Talisker Neist Point

I found this newest Talisker NAS whisky about 6 months ago online out of the UK and decided I’d give it a try. Neist Point is named for the westernmost point on the Isle of Skye, near the Talisker distillery. This bottle was rather expensive for a NAS, at $114, but it looked interesting enough to sucker me in. Boy, was I glad I took the bait... It’s a nice, polished copper in the Glencairn and makes lots of oily legs when you give it a whirl. A thick, oily slick hangs on to the walls of the glass for quite some time after the liquid settles. The nose is that salty, smoke you know and expect from every Talisker you’ve had in the past. There’s fresh and vibrant oak notes that yield quickly to sweet sherry and juicy, dark fruits. The oakiness appears throughout and smells incredibly deep for a NAS whisky. The palate is smoke and sea salt up front, but sherry, raisins and rich plums really mingle well here. There’s a light, oak backbone but no trace of heat or bitterness at all. It’s mouthwatering and juicy. There has got to be some seriously well-aged, sherry-casked Talisker mixed in here- there’s no denying it. Loads of depth. The finish is medium and oaky. It steadily warms as it fades away and leaves what feels like black raspberry skins on your tongue that just make the mouth water even more. As it dries there’s a hint of youthful spirit harshness, but it in no way diminishes the overall experience. This is one of the better NAS whiskies I think I’ve had to this point. It’s not as deep and complex as the Ardbeg twins, Uigeadail or Corryvrecken, nor is it in the same league as the Laphroaig Lore- but it can hang with those guys on a tasting flight, should you choose to do one. 4.25-4.5 stars. I looked at buying another bottle and prices have risen to $125-130/bottle now. That’s a tough call when you can get the Ardbegs for $80-85 and the Lore for $95, but If you’re a diehard Talisker fan- it’s a no brainer. Cheers.

To talk about talisker is to talk about perfection. This is by far my favorite distillery because it makes the most balanced, rich flavoured, amazingly interesting drams. Well, this quite expensive expression (not for me, i bought a sample), was not an exception for the rule. Talisker Neist Point originally intended for the travel retail market (i saw it for usd.179 in ecuador's airport), grabs its name from the most westerly part of the skye island in scotland. Bottled at talisker classic 45.8% abv, with a chesnut oloroso sherry color. On the nose, it is amazing. Talisker always smell like talisker but each expression change one or two notes. This one has only four notes but so interesting, so appealing: peat, olives (like lagavulin 1999 distillers edition), spent matches and orange Jam. Beautifully crafted. On the palate is simply sublime. Balanced to perfection, every note and flavor explotes in the right way, all at the same time, easy to drink but complex enough, a true masterpiece. Main notes are oranges, pepper, peat, crazy dips (yeah it felt like that, that is why i used the "explotion" term), ashes and smoke that comes and goes, even through your nose. Finish is long very long, with spicyness and smoke, making your whole mouth go a little numb. PERFECTION. Overall i give this jewel a perfect 100 over 100, absolutely recommended, perfect to pair it with meat and fungi. AMAZING! SLAINTÈ!!

This is the 2nd time I give this Talisker expression another go on the search for a Talisker bottle to add to my collection. The first aroma on the nose is sweet syrup in a old rough dark wooden bowl. It doesn’t feel fruity or sherry influenced at all but that is a good thing. Then slowly there is some appearing florals and then in the back some cooked fruits but not overly sweet. The backbone is a nice fresh peat. The palate arrives with a wild peat - not smokey but somehow spiced up - like when you burn spices in a pan. Then the palate gets increasingly sweet bid by bid until you finally taste a nice melange of peated wood, bitter oranges and sweet wine gummies. The finish has a very unique and interesting peat and a taste of dark bread and dried sour orchard fruits. After that the nose gets brighter, has some qualities of white wine and fresh banana. And then it become nicely briny. The palate now feels more acidic along the nice sweetness. The peat becomes a little more chemical but definitely not in a bad way. Some added water drops don’t really change much on the nose except maybe some grains. The palate also doesn’t really gain anything here as does the finish. All in all a interesting, intense and rough whisky that will spark interest when enjoyed over a few drams for sure. It is very unique.

First off, I need to add the qualifier than I’m a huge Talisker fan boy. It was one of the first whiskies I ever had, and to this day, a Talisker 10 remains one of my favorites. Aside from their recent silly priced 40 yr old, I’ve pretty much collected all the Taliskers—-everything from its 10 to the amazing 27 yr old Diageo special release to its highly acclaimed 2009 30yr old. This sample comes here courtesy from my buddy @LeeEvolved. Ironically, I sold him my Neist Point, but then also received a sample of this, which I’m grateful for since it was my only bottle of Neist Point. Typical briny salty Szechwan pepper nose that you get from any Talisker. But the taste is more subdued and refined than the 10, less than the 18. Salt water toffee and caramel. Layers of salted dark chocolate. I have no idea if this is available in the US, but if it’s priced less than the 18, you can’t go wrong with it. One of the better NAS, alongside Ardbegs two pillars of Corry and Uigi.

First point: It's crazy that this travel retail "exclusive" costs 140 pounds duty free at Heathrow but only 92 pounds including tax at Master of Malt. Second point: It's frustrating that a non-limited NAS bottling can cost so much more than the celebrated Talisker 18 while disclosing almost nothing about its composition. Neist Point: It's delightful that this yummy dram goes down like a silkier, smoother, more honeyed riff on the 10-year. Damn the pricing and the packaging -- can I have some more?

Assaggiato per caso all'aeroporto di Gatwick Londra, devo dire che mi ha sorpreso in maniera positiva, rispetto alle ultime release di Talisker. Ricorda in un certo senso il 10yo per gamma e complessità nonostante questo sia decisamente meno invecchiato. Mi ha fatto venir voglia di provarlo nuovamente in degustazione. L'unica pecca se vogliamo è il prezzo: più del doppio rispetto al 10yo.