Tastes

Drank neat in a glencarin, rested 10 minutes Nose: that awesome Talisker brine, burnt fruits, black pepper, red meat underlying with a bit of citrus. Taste: red pepper chili flakes, seaweed, brine, saltwater, hearty floral note. Finish: medium, general spices, red chili, brine smoke, settling into a mildly numbing bitter oak As a fan of Talisker, this hits all the right notes for me. Something to chew on and tackle that reminds me of the sea while containing enough fruity and pepper notes to separate it from the Storm and 10 year. A worthwhile pick regardless of the brand affiliation.

Tasted neat in a Kentucky Bourbon Trail glass, rested 30 mins Color: light copper Nose: deep oak and birch tree, cinnamon, caramel, bit of butterscotch, McDonalds Big Mac in the back? Taste: sweeter, thick caramel and nougat. Vanilla bean. Small amount of maple, old oak dominates with some barrel char Finish: short length. burns hot briefly then calms into sawdust and buttercream. Ethanol present with vanilla Thoughts: Maker’s 46 is one of the first bourbons I identified as “sweeter” and “dessert-y”. French oak staves are definitely present throughout the experience and are used to great benefit; they honestly put this offering light years ahead of the standard Maker’s Mark for me. Worth a buy for those looking for an approachable wood rich dram that has some minimal depth and sweet layers to it.

Tasted neat in a glencarin, 3 drops of water after initial taste Nose: sawdust and plywood, oak oak and more oak. Vanilla extract, browned toast. Taste: palate follows the nose. Rich oak, wheat, caramel and vanilla. Builds as it goes. Slightly spicy, water opens up sweeter notes Finish: medium short, dry oak and black pepper. Wood bark. Definitely excited when I saw this come into the bar I work at. Sold half the bottle to patrons in only a weekend, one bought me a pour so I came in off shift to try it. Love the history behind the Gold and the previous exclusivity. After tasting, i was satisfied but not too surprised overall - for sure wood note heavy which some people will love but me is more meh. Absolutely worth having a pour if you can find it, wouldn’t grab a bottle of it for myself though. Enjoyed overall.

Drank neat in a Kentucky Trail Bourbon glass, rested 15 minutes. Nose: peat smoke, sea salt, brine, seaweed, whitecaps, hay hiding in back. Literally reminds me of sailing on the Pacific. Taste: intense salt water, sea foam, and smoke. Harsher peat, some light citrus and heather hay/honey. Coating mouthfeel. Finish: long and lingering. Bit of black pepper, some oak, tingling, salty. honestly, its not the most popular of opinions but I really really enjoy this. Definitely something to wrestle with and dissect. Unbalanced in a good way. I get tons of maritime notes on the nose and palette in this one, truly reminiscent of what I remember growing up sailing and surfing in my late teens. Storm does live up to its name. Top 5 favorite scotches so far and one of my favorite in the entire Talisker line.

Drank neat in a Kentucky trail bourbon glass Nose: wispy smoke, salty light fruits, apricot, band aid, musty leather, campfire embers Taste: smoke and smoke, like the wind suddenly changed direction and is blowing the fire in your face. Switches quickly to light fruits, leather. Taste matches nose but more intense. Finish: long, lingering, viscous and a bit numbing. Peat shines here. Leaves me with the aforementioned campfire embers. Happy I picked this up. Good level of smoke and nicely sweeter. Expert review on here is pretty spot on - consistent through nose to finish in a great way. Very much worth the price, great to sit down with and reflect.

Nose - caramel, wether’s original, dark chocolate, rich oak (duh), tobacco, light spice Taste - caramel, toffee, ethanol, wheat bread, cake, caco beans, chocolate, espresso, oak tree bark, Finish - medium short, smaller hug, old leather, baking spice, oaky and dry Very much a desert bourbon, solid pick for the end of the night, after dinner, and very craveable

Nose - caramel, ethanol, leather, oak, caco, Taste - baking spices, pepper, alcohol, underneath initial burst is toffee, wheat, oak, that distinctive WT funk Finish - longer, nice and lasting hug, dry coating bitter oak and honey, turkey funk subtle but there Worth the buy for an affordable barrel proof product, bonus points for it being WT

Nose - light sweet smoke, citrus, oak moss, Taste - hay, grassy, light smoke, honey, orange, caramel, small peat Finish - medium length, peppery oak, surprisingly bright, warm, lightly coating

Easy drinker - lots of toffee, oak, caramel, small bit of char hiding. Light ethanol. Little bit of warmth. Worth it forsure. Very straightforward and satisfying bourbon