Talisker 15 - Special Releases 2019 - 57,3%
Photo taken somewhere in Stuttgart
It is unnessecary to mention that we waited a long time for this, like being a child again looking forward to it's christmas gifts. But is there not an eternal child in all of us? This dram comes out of fresh charred american hogsheads.
Nose
Home! Burnt almonds and olives. Roasted Manuka honey whith lemons and iodine. Melted butter with cereals. The first impression of it is gentle, fresh and somehow shy.
With water: swims like a shark! The honey sweetness and and lemons get heavier and the cereals turned to wet bread. Eucalyptus and camphor are fighting their way through. There is a fascinating earthiness of wet leaves and mud in a forests, while at the same time kelp on the beach appears. The water realized the inhibitions and the Talisker character bursts out. Like a wave in high tide splashing on to shore rinsing it with sea salt.
Palate
What did we just say about gentleness?! We get a big punch of white pepper, chilli and bitter grapefruit concentrate, warming and watering the whole mouth. The sweetness is so dense, strong and waxy like the thickest honey.
With water:
Even more dense now with vanilla cake, heavy salted butter and lemon oil. Big time.
Finish
Interminatus! The bitter grapefruit peels, new plastic and black tarr are sticking on the tongue and palate like paper on the wall. Before saying farewell a hint of black pepper appeared just to remind us that this is a true Talisker.
Rating
The team from Skye should patent the expression "taliskerness" or we will do it. While many people (justifiably) moan that the quality of whisky decreased due to high demand, Talisker walks the opposite way and delivered a fantastic and distinctive single malt again. Last years 8 year old was a bit more medicinal, complex and dirtier, while the 15 years old is more balanced and on the honeyed side of the moon.
