I have not been enjoying whisky for long enough to know whether there is truth to the statements that the classic whiskies were better in years past. For all the Talisker I have drunk though, at its worst, is still acceptable if not good. This 2018 special release though is supposedly a call back to the old-school Taliskers from the 1970s to 1980s. It was matured in first fill ex-bourbon hogsheads casks and bottled at a natural cask strength of 59.4% ABV. N: Powerful. A punchy sweetness of tropical malt, orange, maybe red berry mixes with a vaguely metallic and medicinal cool smoke. Soft undertones of vanilla, toffee, and pepper. P: Smack. Peppery smoke turns to red chilli. BBQ meats, sweet apple, mocha, blackcurrant. This has everything going on, but it is heavy and likely masked by the high ABV. F: Long. Charred wood smoulders, metallic minerality, delicately floral and lingering chilli and black pepper. A few drops of water lifts the nose, fresh malt is more apparent, BBQ develops, and orange takes over the sweeter elements. The smoke has an almost menthol coolness to it now. Wow, so much softer, rounder and juicier. The chilli and pepper heat is toned down and becomes the fruiter end of the chilli spectrum, BBQ meat takes on a charred honey glazed ham and the smoke becomes more like embers hit with sea spray. The finish is much the same the smouldering ember smoke is just fantastic and now, finally, I find some real saltiness and it is spectacular. Damn, bottles of this, if I could find one in stock, seem to now range from AUD$300 up to some truly staggering prices. I am not surprised, for an 8 y/o this has some truly exceptional character and flavour development. The youth is perhaps evident in a high ABV that coupled with the classic Talisker chilli catch is a little aggressive; but still, if this was the only whisky you ever got to drink again I don’t think there would be many complaints. If this is how good all Talisker liquid was 30-40 years ago then I think I need to dedicate my life to time travel. Distiller whisky taste #260 [Pictured here with an emerald schist. Once upon a time (around lunch time Tuesday in the Oligocene) the Proterozoic (super old) metamorphic basement rocks fo the Panjsher Valley in Afghanistan were intruded by a bunch of granites. The resultant fracturing, hot fluid circulation, and alteration of the schists led to the schist being overprinted by feldspars (white), tourmaline (black) and chunky emeralds] Talisker running scores: T10: 4/5 T18: 4.75/5 Skye: 3.25/5 Port Ruighe: 2.75/3 Storm: 3.5/5 Dark Storm: 4.25/5 Surge: 4/5 57 North: 4.25/5 X Parley Wilder Seas: 4.25/5 T8 2018 Special Release: 4.5/5 T8 2021 Special Release: 4.5/5