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Talisker 57º North

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@talexanderReview by @talexander

7th Mar 2012

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Talisker 57º North
  • Nose
    24
  • Taste
    24
  • Finish
    23
  • Balance
    24
  • Overall
    95

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If you've read my earlier reviews, you'd have noticed I've worked my way through the Talisker 3-pack. Previous reviews were the Distiller's Edition and the 10 Year Old. Now - my favourite.

A coppery colour in the glass. The nose is startling, with ginger, peat, sea spray and smoked paprika. Water brings out lavender, believe it or not.

In the mouth, there is a flash of hot alcohol, much hotter than the nose. Then cayenne pepper! Wow! Mouthcoating but not syrupy, with very mild caramel with peat. Amazing! It doesn't feel like water really dilutes it; rather, it explodes the smoke wonderfully in the mouth and enriches the finish, which is deep, rich and long.

It is a beautifully balanced whisky. Each element is just different enough from the other to make it interesting, but in the same range so as to be harmonious. The peat doesn't dominate as it does in some Islays; but rather envelopes all the other salty and spicy elements while letting the mouth feel rich.

I love Talisker, absolutely one of my favourites, though I've only had these three expressions. This distillery exists on an island which really has no business having a distillery (though in 1823 it had seven); and it almost burned down in 1960. But the Island of Skye's sea spray and briny atmosphere, among other elements, has made its way into the whisky, justifying its struggles.

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4 comments

@Victor
Victor commented

With you, brother. This is a great whisky. I can't wait to get my hands on a bottle of it. Soon, I hope. You'll love the Talisker 18 also.

12 years ago 0

@maltster
maltster commented

The Talisker 57°North is a very good example of the new Talisker - it´s a belter with lots of chilly-catch... As Talisker is one of my Favourite Distilleries I tasted quite a lot of them and I discovered that after my first enthusiastic tastings of the North I tend to give precedence to the 10 and 18 because these Whiskys are less about the bite and more refined. I still think it is a very good Whisky but you should definitely try to get your hands on the 18 year old. If you ever have the chance to try older versions of the 10 (pre-Classic Malts) or even older Stuff from the 1970´s you would be blown away by the beauty of these gems. I had a bottle which was distilled in the late 1960´s over x-mas and this was one hell of a Whisky; complex, smooth and bursting with flavours.

12 years ago 0

@talexander
talexander commented

Thank you @Victor and @maltster! Yeah, hopefully I'll find at least an 18 (if not a bottle, then at least a dram) when I'm in Scotland in May...

12 years ago 0

@cintain
cintain commented

Thank you for the review. It helped make up my mind in selecting the bottle that my cousin was bringing from the Duty-Free shop today. As a fan of the Talisker 10, I can't wait to try out this one. I am intrigued by @maltster's comments, unfortunately I'll have to wait until I go to Scotland to seek for the pre-Classic malts expressions.

12 years ago 0