This is why we drink scotch. *Score* 93 *Color* Amber, lager *Nose* deep oaky wood. Peat with a touch of smoke. If you know to be on the lookout for cinnamon, you can pick up faint traces. *Palate* thick and dense. *Finish* Robust and peppery. Just let it linger as long as it can. *Tasting Notes* The first taste on its own offers moderate enjoyment. It’s difficult, if not impossible for me, to evaluate this dram on its own merits prior to adding water because I know how much I’ll love it because I know how much it will change and how much I prefer it with a few drops. Merely a single drop of water unleashes the best scotch I have ever experienced. To piece together expert notes, “The lava of the Cuillins”…“explodes on the palate.” Talisker delivers such a long beautiful aftertaste. Complex and dense, you’ll notice ashy smoke almost like a cigarette aftertaste with a tincture of cinnamon underneath the smoke. A few more drops that seem to damper the smoke and engage the cinnamon. A finish so strong and perfect I don’t ever want it to end. This is a perfect example of a scotch you need to revisit. Be very precise in noting how many drops you add and what nuances you pick up. This is a completely different scotch with no drops versus three drops, and even increasing to several more drops. If you like Talisker even a little bit, buy a bottle and explore.