Talisker Storm

Smoky, warm.

Un no-aged scotch whisky, sentori molto salini e di media tornatura. Se tagliato con 2 gocce d'acqua come da tradizione prevalgono note legnose.

Nose: medium peaty smoke immediately, followed by some of the new char from reworking and re-charring barrels, peat and char match well, salty briny note, fruitiness comes out after it opens up a bit, malt and a touch of honey, water pushes aside the peaty smoke, hint of citrus comes through, golden raisins, hint of vanilla, spice. Taste: char and peaty smoke, spicy peppery notes, orchard fruits, slightest earthy note with almost an herbal quality, finish is medium with the char and spice. Good scotch with a medium complexity at most but still a solid dram.

Light but peaty. Would use to introduce people to peaty flavors

It's been quite some time since I've had the standard Talisker 10 year, and although this sounds pretty different from that one, I was really just feeling very seafaring and needed to add something else like that to my collection. However, after reading into it, I'm very excited about the de-charred and re-charred barrels. The bottle is really beautiful, and contrasts very well with the deep color of the whisky itself. The smell starts strong with the smoke, but peat and honey enter the picture quickly afterwards. The proof is slightly higher than most Scotches, but the ethanol does hit my nose more than what I would have expected. The taste starts strong, but begins in the gums as a burn before the smoke and peat round out the remainder on the tongue. I expected to taste more salt or brine, and although it's there, it's not enough to make me envision a storm or the ocean. It does taste like a much peatier Scotch, say Ardbeg, got mellowed out by aging in a rickhouse near the shore. I'm assuming this is aged less than the 10 year version, so I can see how "storm" is a good descriptor, but it's also not different enough to justify the price. The taste is good, especially if you want a bit of a heavier Scotch, but I don't get any other sea notes that I was hoping to find here.