Talisker 11 Year The Lustrous Creature of the Depths (2022 Special Release)

Talisker, but with beautiful tropical fruit notes and meant to drink while swimming with dolphins.

Talisker is one of the finest distilleries of all the world. It is my favorite alongside with Glendronach, and i fetch all the expressions i can that they release. Well, in 2022, Diageo gave us their "Special Releases" and the Talisker one featured a Jellyfish, who is an animal that lives in the depths of the sea, which is the main theme of Talisker expressions nowadays. This natural cask strength whisky was bottled at 55.1%abv On the nose, it is a little dim, not the best Talisker has ever done. Apple, salt. Beach feeling; a Plavova dessert, unexpectedly sweet. On the palate, it is delicious; it got back on track. Acid gooseberries, prunes with salt, a lovely red pepper note and milk powder formula. After a first sip, it became a sweet vanilla ice cream. Aftertaste is by far the best part of it. A heavy salt note; kelp, maritime feeling overall. Wow, really amazing. Star aniseed. Overall, this is very enjoyable, it doesn't feel as a natural cask strength dram, you can't feel the 55.1%abv anywhere. It lacks complexity and the nose is too dim that is the worst part. In conclusion, this is a very good single malt, but this is not the best Talisker you will ever have. It still manages to score highly, but for a Talisker i would say that they can definitively do a better job. My score for it is 89 over 100.

Color: Light marigold. Nose: Black pepper, chilis, sweet red berries, and a hint of vanilla. Can smell both the ex-bourbon and red wine casks. Palate: Very classic Talisker. Soft smoke, brine, and peppery bite. A little light fudge and candied apples as well. Finish: Prickly and rich. Strong barrel character with round, meaty, savory notes. Smoked pork fat comes to mind. Diluted: Gentle peat marries with wildflowers on the nose. Palate and finish see more of the bourbon barrels' sweeter notes, with just a little salty oyster brine.

That’s really lovely. The peat is present but by no means overwhelming, and you also get a rich, buttery shortbread slathered in baked, spiced apples. 100% would buy again