Talisker Neist Point

Amazing. More unique finishes than others so great blend. Soft and sweet with the unique finish of stone fruit and brine.

This is the 2nd time I give this Talisker expression another go on the search for a Talisker bottle to add to my collection. The first aroma on the nose is sweet syrup in a old rough dark wooden bowl. It doesn’t feel fruity or sherry influenced at all but that is a good thing. Then slowly there is some appearing florals and then in the back some cooked fruits but not overly sweet. The backbone is a nice fresh peat. The palate arrives with a wild peat - not smokey but somehow spiced up - like when you burn spices in a pan. Then the palate gets increasingly sweet bid by bid until you finally taste a nice melange of peated wood, bitter oranges and sweet wine gummies. The finish has a very unique and interesting peat and a taste of dark bread and dried sour orchard fruits. After that the nose gets brighter, has some qualities of white wine and fresh banana. And then it become nicely briny. The palate now feels more acidic along the nice sweetness. The peat becomes a little more chemical but definitely not in a bad way. Some added water drops don’t really change much on the nose except maybe some grains. The palate also doesn’t really gain anything here as does the finish. All in all a interesting, intense and rough whisky that will spark interest when enjoyed over a few drams for sure. It is very unique.

Smoky, earthy, easy drinking

To talk about talisker is to talk about perfection. This is by far my favorite distillery because it makes the most balanced, rich flavoured, amazingly interesting drams. Well, this quite expensive expression (not for me, i bought a sample), was not an exception for the rule. Talisker Neist Point originally intended for the travel retail market (i saw it for usd.179 in ecuador's airport), grabs its name from the most westerly part of the skye island in scotland. Bottled at talisker classic 45.8% abv, with a chesnut oloroso sherry color. On the nose, it is amazing. Talisker always smell like talisker but each expression change one or two notes. This one has only four notes but so interesting, so appealing: peat, olives (like lagavulin 1999 distillers edition), spent matches and orange Jam. Beautifully crafted. On the palate is simply sublime. Balanced to perfection, every note and flavor explotes in the right way, all at the same time, easy to drink but complex enough, a true masterpiece. Main notes are oranges, pepper, peat, crazy dips (yeah it felt like that, that is why i used the "explotion" term), ashes and smoke that comes and goes, even through your nose. Finish is long very long, with spicyness and smoke, making your whole mouth go a little numb. PERFECTION. Overall i give this jewel a perfect 100 over 100, absolutely recommended, perfect to pair it with meat and fungi. AMAZING! SLAINTÈ!!