Talisker 15 Year (2019 Special Release)

Excellent, my favorite Talisker!

Amazing, very similar to the 10, much nicer than the 18.

Nose: Smokey honey baked ham. Beach spray with just a bit of citrus zing. Palate: Very different mouthfeel. Very dark salted chocolate with some burning leaves too. Some candied orange peel as it opens more. Finish: lots of fruitiness but not strong enough to pin point. Finish has more of a buttery mouthfeel leads to more bonfire smoke.

91/100 Colour: Pale sunshine Smell: Seaweed, subtle campfire, Saltwater taffy Palate: Peppery, oily, allspice, dark smoked chocolate coating your entire mouth in a long finish

This is wonderful.

The nose is very maritime, like a sea spray and maybe some seaweed, mixed with quite bright citrus and some vanilla. I might have been hallucinating but I could swear I smelled some dark roasted coffee beans as well. The peat is there but quite muted. The taste initially punches you in the mouth with the high ABV then turns briny and sort of citrus and lemon zest in character with the freshly charred oak hogsheads showing up and gradually fades into the peat that is rounding it of. The aftertaste is long and pleasant. Opened up a lot with about a teaspoon of water to 4 cl pour, much more fruit and sweetness shows up on the taste and the nose becomes more lemon and citrus. This is potent whisky presented at cask strength, matured in freshly charred American oak hogsheads. It is a Talisker for sure but not at all what I am familiar with in the regular 10 year old!