Review transfer from Barreled from October 2016 I am doing another side by side review. This time I have Talisker Storm and Dark Storm (previously reviewed). Both of these NAS whiskies are bottles at the standard Talisker strength of 45.8% ABV. The first thing that jumps out is the difference in color. The storm is a golden straw while the dark storm is dark amber. Darker than the heavily colored JWB 12, but I think it is natural color from the heavily charred casks. I don it know if the Storm is natural color but if it has colorant added it is very little. Nose for the Storm is initially heavy cereal malt with smoke. Once it sits a couple minutes the youth of this whisky really becomes apparent. There is abundant oak but the best way I can describe it is green oak or wet oak. Not sure I can elaborate on that other than it's young. Signature Talisker pepper. There is vanilla, light peat smoke, and maybe a hint of honey. I picked up a touch of cacao or dark chocolate but it didn't stick around very long. Oddly enough, I got a distinct smell of a garage. I've worked at a Belle Tire and my dad has been a mechanic for 40 years so I've been around them all my life and that's what smelled. In no way was this unpleasant and it disappeared after it sat in the glass, but it was very interesting. The Dark Storm also showed its youth, but it was very different. Heavier on the pepper and oak. The heavy char of the casks gives a sense of overdone/burnt BBQ chicken. Quite nice. The palate of the Storm is smokey sweet and warming but not hot. It's medium bodied. More of the pepper and oak. Light salty/maritime character. The finish is medium length. The Dark Storm is spicier and saltier. More of that BBQ quality. The oak is harder to detect due to the heavier pepper influence but it is there. Med-full body. The finish is longer than the Storm. Hard to say which one I prefer. It would depend on what kind of mood I'm in. The Dark Storm is more intense but the Storm has more subtle details. Both are very good, however I think I would take the standard 10 YO over both as it is more well balanced. I gave the Dark Storm a 4.25 and that is exactly what I am giving Storm.