Talisker 8 Year Old 2012 - Diageo Special Releases 2021

In 2018, Diageo came up with an 8-year-old Talisker for the first time in the Special Releases (for 85 EUR) and that remains one of my favorites. In 2019 a 16-year-old followed and in 2020 again an 8-year-old (for 90 EUR). That is also the case this year, the so-called 'The Rogue Seafury'. Matured in what Diageo describes as 'heavily peated refill casks'. But in the meantime you’ll have to fork over 110 EUR for this. Isn't that a bit harsh for an 8-year-old, Diageo?
Oh, what is this now? I know that Talisker is a bit maritime and even somewhat peaty, but also shows a lot of citrus and pepper and this Talisker does not really do that at all. Blindly, I would even rather think of Caol Ila or even Lagavulin. Seaweed, oyster juice, cooked ham and gyproc with a few Haribo bears in the background. Very interesting, but very atypical for Talisker (and I'm honestly not that happy with it). On the palate it is clearly very young. The citrus is now ubiquitous, but is drowned out by a bucket full of seawater. The pepper also tries to show itself, but the salt is just too dominant. The peat is also of Islay proportions again so I really don't feel like I have a Talisker in the glass. And if I may be honest: I tastes of little more than salt and peat. What a pity. The finish is very long, very warm, very salty and very smoky. Blindly, I would never have guessed this is Talisker. And it's very expensive for what you get.

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