Ah, Talisker. In the words of Jim Carey: I like you. I like you, A LOTTT! So much so, in fact, I bought all the bottles in your core range all the way up to the 30 year old. I’d also buy the 40 if you drop the price a scooch: $3400 is a little too too much. But, I digress... The Talisker 25 year (from 2011). I bought this bottle for $275 a few years ago in my quest to build a set of the above mentioned core range. On a dare, I opened this to settle a dispute over what many were saying was an inferior product. Come to find out- it was the 2017 bottling that was causing quite a stir. My 2011 was fine, damn fine actually. This was bottle #1613 of 5946 for 2011. It was the first batch of 25 that wasn’t offered at cask strength. You need to go back to 2009 and earlier for one of those puppies. Damn. It’s a rich gold in the taster. Very oily with medium drops forming after a spin. Bottled at the Talisker hot spot of 45.8% ABV. The nose begins like all Tally’s- briny, sea salt, seashore. I can hear the gulls squawking. Give it some appropriate time to warm up to you slamming your nose up it’s skirt and it’ll relax and reward you with ripe raspberries, orchard fruit and baker’s chocolate. The lightest of smoke rises and fills the neighborhood, just like a summertime backyard grill. The smoke is light, but sure hangs heavy. That’s heavenly IMO. The palate returns you home to the Atlantic Isles with peppery dock wood, smoke and peat. Mushroom earthiness, leather-bound books and malted apples with that wonderful briny backbone. Everything is modestly dry but there’s absolutely no harshness. It is 25 years old mind you. The finale is long and luscious, chocolate smoke that’s rich and everlasting. The salty bite at the very end keeps this from finishing too dessert-like and that also put a big smile on my face. If the earlier, cask strength bottles are considered a lot better than the blended down versions then, holy hell, where do I sign up to give my right arm for one? I mean seriously. This thing is right there on the line of perfection- especially if you adore Talisker. My only gripe- it costs $275. You can get 85% of the way here with a $78 bottle of the 18 year old. Which begs the question: why buy this one? Well, I’ll tell you why- because you can’t take it with you, my friends. Spend that paycheck and treat yourself. You deserve it. You really do. 4.75 stars. Cheers.