Talisker Select Reserve (Game of Thrones-House Greyjoy)

Over at a friend’s house, I spotted a cache of GoT whiskies ready to explore. As we already had plenty of bottles to try, I asked for a recommendation on the best one and out came the Talisker. The nose starts with what seems to be some sherry notes with caramel covered chocolate prunes then fruits of candied orange peel, peaches and apricots with vanilla cake before notes of light peat and ocean brine with dehydrated seaweed, ginger, leather and polished oak with light ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with vanilla orange creamsicle, then some sherry notes with chocolate covered raisins, apricots leading to campfire ashes, ocean brine with dehydrated seaweed, ginger, cloves, leather and light oak with a medium ethanol burn that finishes medium length with freshly fallen autumn leaves burning in a campfire, sea salt dark chocolate candy bar, candied orange peel, peaches, ginger, cloves and leather. This is a solid whisky that makes me wish I had paid more attention to these GoT releases, but I already spend too much on whisky and definitely don’t need to play gotta catch them all on some gimmicky bottles to add to my overstuffed cabinets. The whisky is fruity; a balance of peat and spices, but this is also very salty. It seems they made sure to incorporate as much brine as a person can probably handle for the maritime House Greyjoy theme. I personally really enjoy salty foods and this worked really well for me, but I can also see a person dislike this for the same reason.

Talisker-House Greyjoy NOSE: Another one of those I could nose for hours. Light Peat, Charred Meat, Ash, Fresh Cream, Honey, Leather, Salt Air, Mint, and an underlying General Sweetness (hinting at gooey Toffee at times, and sweet tangy BBQ Sauce at others). Some Tropical Fruit develops with time in the glass. Great nose. NEAT: Medium, slightly Creamy mouthfeel. The first sip is all Ash and Lemon Peel. Subsequent sips offer notes of Malt Sweetness, Salt Brine, Leather, Black Pepper, and a hint of Crushed Pineapple. Not overly hot on the finish, but there is a little burn at the back of the tongue. Citrus/Ash/Salt and a nice Peppery Tingle coat and build on the palate. Just a hint of Sourness. SPLASH: Gives a Floral Note to the nose. On the palate, it now enters with Milk Chocolate. The Peat moves all the way to the back of the tongue. This is Chocolate by the campfire. A real or imagined hint of Graham Cracker and now this is almost like making S'mores. The finish gets a healthy shot of that Milk Chocolate and the sourness noted before becomes Dark Chocolate. The aftertaste lingers for quite some time. VERDICT: This is my first Talisker and might I just say, wow. NAS or not, this is just very good. Picked this one up strictly on a whim and now regret that I waited until the last bottle. Had I tried it sooner, this would've been a multiple bottle purchase at $50. Very much looking forward to exploring Talisker's core lineup now.

The aroma on the nose is a little shy initially, you have to be patient and let it open up, revealing a distinctly sweet soul of plums, peach in syrup, cotton candy and caramel. The peat is marine and vegetable, with just a drizzle of smoke to caress it. Over time, the smokiness widens slightly, while remaining muted. On the palate things change, and after the lash of Taliskerian black pepper, the peat roars (or whatever the battle verse of the octopuses is) with the personality of a barbecue rib, accompanied by abundant salt and seaweed, grilled fruit skewers and a balsamic note. The body is supported by the sweet aspect on the nose, which frames the other aromas, maintaining the coherence of the two senses. In time, leather and wood also come in the background. Rather long finish, of chili pepper, salt, wood and a pinch of ash. It appears faint on the nose and then offers a flicker on the palate, different from the Talisker to which you are used, perhaps more pleasing, but still interesting. A variation on the theme that, given the price, is to be tasted.

One of the few Game of Thrones edition whiskies i was missing was from one of my favorite distilleries, the Talisker Select Reserve. A NAS dram with the promise of nice flavor just because it is a Talisker. This one is all about the Greyjoys, a Game of Thrones family which are mostly remember for their sea life, just as Talisker. Bottled at their classic 45.8%abv, tawny. On the nose: Salty, Maritime, Oregano, lightly Peated, Sea and sand. On the palate, This is the lightest, softest talisker ever. Toffee, vanilla, burnt bread. Sooooo drinkable and easy. Not very interesting though. Aftertaste is the best part by far. Peat spice, pepper so light. Earthy peat. Great burn, pleasant. Overall this is a talisker for non talisker drinkers. It has been softened for people who are going to buy this whisky just because of the tv series and not because they know or like Talisker. It is actually a great way to enter peaty/smoky whiskies, but it definitively is the worst talisker. Even so, 84 over 100 is the score i have for it.

This one wasn’t easy for me to find and as a Talisker fan I’m very happy that I did. It reminds me a lot of the classic 10 although gentler this time. On the nose there is less brine and pepper and more of what seems to be sherry sweetness (I could bet there are some sherry casks on the mix here). The palate is a bit less spicy and again, a tad sweeter. The finish is savoury, simply delicious, making it dangerously quaffable. (Peat wise they are very similar for me) This one was a very pleasant surprise,a very good whisky, not just a gimmick. I would say it is softer than the 10, not as refined as the 18, but great value nonetheless. I recommend it even for the ones out there there aren’t big fans of the Talisker profile (yet!).

Ah Talisker you are Talisker. You can pump out bland crap and who cares (unlike HP) cos you usually stick to what makes you - that brutalistic Talisker core...refined, rough, sloppy, 2nd rate. Who cares it's good. Now this has little finesse or complexity or really anything different going on and if you want pure Talisker essence look to the 8 year special release (ps @PBMichiganWolverine I have kidneys, wifes and kids I'll sell and trade for a drop of the 15 year Special 2019 release I can't get my hands on...and will pay for postage for the human and whisky cargo). Anyhow the price I've now seen at $120 is stupid. Don't bother hunting down but if you find a free supply drown your sorrows and yourself in it.