Talisker 25yo, b.2015, 2330/9882, 45.8% abv.

Matured in mostly American oak hogsheads with some European oak refill casks. Interestingly, Talisker abvs tend to be 45.8%. Nose: metallic, sharp purple grapeskin and grape seed (olfactory senses from biting on a grape seed), sour power (those super sour gummy candies), lemon zest, red apple skin, cooper. Nose at a distance gives only light sweet notes akin to light cantaloupe.

Palate: asphaltic, peppery, a nutty peat on the back palate. After a few sips, these flavors transform to peat and peppers.

Finish: medium, smoke, dry, a dull bitter and earthy peat, peppery. After awhile, there is a vegetative aftertaste and seaweed on the beach.

A strange one. The initial tasting experience is like asphalt, metallic, and hints of peat here and there, but it opens up to earth, peat, amd black pepper spice. Not my style. Prefer the cask strength version, which for some reason is soooo different.

Grade: C-

Whiskyanalysis.com, 8.98 ± 0.28 on 17 reviews

Image courtesy of Eric Yee.

Eric Yee

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