Talisker Surge

Nose: Initially malt and a touch of mixed fruit, with a little rest in the glass the more familiar Talisker brine and tarry ropes show up. A distant beach barbecue and the just discernible fragrances of orange and vanilla blossoms growing by the seaside. The peat smoke is light but not deficient. Palate: Quite a salty arrival that progresses into an even saltier mid-palate like a surge (ha, ha) of briny waves, flotsam and sea-wrack. The signature Talisker chilli note is there in the late palate together with white pepper, but the top-notes here are malt, cereal and mocha. The texture is nicely oily but the peat smoke is light and ashen. Finish: Medium/Long. Sweet and salted (like salted dried fruit) with a dash of pepper and ash in the aftertaste. With repeated sips the briny presence builds and it is this that provides the length. This is the first Talisker I’ve tasted since the dreadful new packaging was adopted, and while I did not expect any change to the existing expressions I was surprised by the amount of brine in this new offering. The saline character threatens to become a wall of salt, but pulls back just in time, however this malt becomes agreeable more because your palate gets used to it rather than anything else. This was tasted from a sample provided by @DrRHCMadden. I received it months ago but I’ve been so busy catching up on half a year of distillery visit reviews that I’ve only just now opened my stash of samples. I also acquired a bottle of this from Duty Free in May but having now tasted the sample I think I’ll open the bottle sooner rather than later. This is a good malt, quirky but approachable once you get used to it. In some ways it’s like a saltier version of Old Pulteney 12 from a decade ago, so it should be a good session whisky. One thing, I didn't think it took water very well. A dash does not bruise the whisky and it does mute the salt a little, but it also introduces a sour lemon note to the palate which is not quite right. Altogether I thought it was best without reduction. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)