Talisker 8 - Rum Cask Finish - Special Release 2020 - 57,9%
Photo taken at Roche Bobois Stuttgart
Whisky in a rum cask, or rum in a whisky cask, combinations that regularly make us shake. Those two spirits are flavourwise too dominant on their own and too far apart from each other. The only exception we appreciated was Springbank 15 Rum Wood. Let's find out if this Talisker also steps out of the line of miscarriages. They say 'matured in pot still rum casks.' Not too many pot stills out there.
Nose
Fresh and sweet first impression! We get hit with green apple slices, dipped into smoked acacia honey and salted with some Fleur de Sel. The sweetness is complemented by vanillin and bright fruits such as apricots and pears. After a while we also get a hint of iodine. The finish was monitored quite well and adds an interesting fruitiness to the deliacte and fresh bouquet. The alcohol is maybe a shade too aggressive. So, with water: Wet wood and definitely more Iodine. Much rounder now, a very good swimmer indeed.
Palate
The Sweetness and waxines are walking hand in hand here. It's light, liquid honey with vanilla cream and malted barley, refreshed with some splashes of lemon juice. The famous chilli catch is also on board (or is it the youth?!) With water: More honey, more bright fruits and much more lemons. Copy and paste from above. Much better.
Finish
Quite long. All on lemons, bee's wax and iodine. Strike! The finish cannot hide it's stormy origin.
Rating
Even if we miss the distinctive austerity a little bit, this bright fellow is an interesting counterpart to the sherried Distillers Edition, which has dominatly heavy, dark fruits in store. That combo somehow reminds of the Highland Park Series called Light/Dark. This plant needs water and will for sure improve after some time in an opened bottle. It's a very pleasant, well done bottling, yet no chance against the wicked 8 year old from 2018.
