Talisker Storm

Bright amber colour. Smoky-fruity aroma: pear, ripe apple, honey, raisins, salt, white pepper, seaweed. Sweet apple jam, banana, pepper, caramelised onion, peat, apricot, figues. Pretty decent peaty NAS. 82/100

Nose peat grape light vinegar. Taste fruit juice but not sweet. Smoky and spicy. Pepper. Spicy and oak finish.

Castle and smoke

Pretty good! Peaty at the start that quickly transitions to a smoky/briny combo. Not much fruit, but a lot of oak. Much more kind than the 10 yr from the same distiller.

My final entry of the Talisker core 4. I’m a massive fan of the other three, so I’m expecting a lot of the profile despite this being the youngest of the bunch. It’s technically sub-entry level, but it’s still Talisker, and for that, I’m looking forward to this. Nose: Heavy peat and campfire smoke. Sea salt and seaweed. Fudge and cocoa. Milk chocolate. Sun-dried tomato. Black bean, red pepper chili. Cinnamon, black and white pepper, and oak. Palate: Milk chocolate and caramel. Vanilla, butterscotch, and sugar cookie. Salt water taffy. Some floral notes. Raisin. The seaweed, sea salt, smoke, and peat are in the background here. Ballpark pretzel. Black bean, red pepper chili. Cinnamon, black and white pepper, and oak. Finish: Sugar cookie, vanilla, and toffee. Sea salt, seaweed, and light peat smoke. Milk chocolate. Caramel and raisin. Black bean, red pepper chili. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderate length, slightly above average even. Awesome. Talisker is always a winner. This is their “basic” offering. According to the notes I listed above, it should be clear that I do not consider this to be anything but basic. Bold, brash, and briny. Always a power-puncher, and consistently high-quality and complex. 4.5/5 for this one, which is the lowest rating I’ve given a Talisker. That says a lot about how I feel about the quality. Great VFM at $57. Excellent.

Talisker Storm is a NAS released in 2013 offered more or less alongside T10. The difference to the T10 is mainly in the use of shaved and (deeply) re-charred ex-bourbon casks. The liquid poured into the casks though is a blend of three year old and 25 year old Talisker. N: Dry cool smoke with crisp ocean spray. A prickle of cracked pepper. Slight malty honey sweetness comes forward and is reminiscent of the T10s honey sweetness, but this pushes sweeter into a banana territory and maybe some pear. Is there a floral note, I’m not sure? P: Thick and heavy on arrival with a smack of pepper. Smoke is warm and slightly tannic. Earthy, mineral brine turns to the Talisker red chilli. There is a creaminess in here too, I think its coming from the wood and lands somewhere between toffee and oaked-chardonnay. F: Medium. The smoke fades to red chilli quite quickly, whilst it does though there is a cooling and refreshing lift from a semi-sweet floral note. I think that could just be young new make pushing through? Whatever it is, I’m here for it. As the sip fades completely there is a feeling of embers and beach pebbles. Nose lacks the impetus of the T10 but drifts towards memories of the T18; perhaps this is the combination of old (rumoured 25YO) and young stock. Palate is a bit flat, the youthful elements are fighting with the touches of older stock. The finish is where this gets good in my opinion the fade from smoke to lifting bright sweetness is wonderful. I have a problem with this whisky though. It feels like an unnecessary NAS cash grab; the same as Skye (only this is a bit better). Written on the box is “Clouds begin to gather over the black Cuilin mountains, you can see the mood darken. You can taste it too. Deep smoke swirls with spice. Feel the intensity rise as the storm sets in”. I have never struggled with picturing a rugged coast or a lonely lighthouse keeper facing the storm when drinking Talisker. So, with Storm I was expecting something akin to the 8YO Special Release ‘Sea Fury’. Instead, I found fading intensity and a lack of depth in the palate. The nose held promise, the finish went a calm, but enjoyable, direction. This just isn’t a storm. Ultimately drink this if its available. But, preference T10 if you want an accessible brooding sea. Drink T18 if you want the calmer, softer side of Talisker. Distiller whisky taste #257 [Pictured here with a ruby-garnet schist from the tiny island of Khit Ostrov in the far west of Russia. This rock took quite a journey. Originally laid down as a 2.8-2.5 billion year old muddy sediment it had its chemistry and mineralogy completely rearranged by hydrothermal fluids 2.3 billion years ago. Then, smashed up in a mountain building event 1.9-1.8 billion years ago produced the final form, complete with rubies.] Talisker running scores: T10: 4/5 T18: 4.75/5 T8 2021 Special Release: 4.5/5 Skye: 3.25/5 Port Ruighe: 2.75/3 Storm: 3.5/5 57 North: 4.25/5 X Parley Wilder Seas: 4.25/5

Trying at Chris’s. First taste - not sure. Tasting better as i go. Not sure if i like it better then the flagship though.