Talisker 57º North

The 57 north. A modern whisky, young, bottled naturally at a higher strength (though not cask strength presumably) in a similar style to the Glenfiddich Distillers, Auchentoshan Valinch, Aberlour A'bunadh and others, a whisky for the times and for the tasting.

• Nose: pretty harsh and windswept, more full on phenols and peat, with lots of pepper and spicy stuff, lurking in the background are the sweeter Talisker notes, fudge and drinking chocolate, also a pretty fresh tequila note. With water prominent cocoa note, tequila again with plenty of sea side salty stuff, reasonably phenolic too, other than the tequila there is a note I really can’t pin down, it’s just really fresh…. something, hmmmm that’s annoying,

• Pallet: spicy, pretty hot and alcoholic, some drinking chocolate again and tequila (blanco or silver tequila), but pallet is pretty tough to call. With water pepper and chili attack, lots of coffee, mocha flavours, honey, also some damp earth, dark chocolate, fudge fading into raw peat (somehow?), then going a bit vegetal.

• Finish: seemingly characteristic of Talisker its pretty swift, tequila note lasts through the pallet, With water earthiness really carries nicely and peat rising and falling, finally it goes very very dry.

• Mark neat – 8.0, with water – 8.7.

A whisky for the moment and not a bad one for the cabinet, a good price ($130AUD). When compared to the aforementioned rivals it is on the higher side (A'bunadh and Fiddich - 110AUD and Valinch 90AUD) but i still think its pretty good value. This for me demonstrates the true nature of Talisker better than the 10 year old. Be very scientific with the water though, those maritime notes seem to drown a bit quick.

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