Talisker 1957 Sherry Cask

Talisker is a great whisky and to be honest, when my buddy told me he had a bottle of Talisker 1957, I turned green with envy. But I should have known better. When he next visited me, my friend had brought a sample. This beautiful bronze Talisker is truly liquid history. Now all I have to do is try it without falling into the trap that is the Matthew Effect.

The nose is very aromatic on heather, sweet peat, pepper, silt, Seville oranges, eucalyptus, apple cake an mocha. Sultanas, pineapple, strawberry… this is almost a fruit bomb. It also has a dusty side that reminds me on an attic. Or the department Old Books at the local library. Wonderful.

Well, those 57% cask strength does not bother at all. Very quaffable. Pineapple returns, but then the candied version. Loads of pepper and a nice smokiness rear their heads. Banana flambéed with orange liqueur. Toffee? Some nuts and something metallic. That last bit is probably due to the fact that the liquid has spent so many years in the bottle.

The cake returns – with a slightly burnt bottom – in the medium long finish.

What a great Talisker indeed! The palate and finish were wonderful, but the nose was simply heaven. And Matthew did not fit into the equation, believe me. With a big thank you to my buddy Imanuel for the generous sample.

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