Talisker - Distillery Exlusive Bottling - 2019 - 48%
Photo taken on Sligachan Old Bridge
When we tell you that Syke is one of the most spectacular places in the world, you better not believe us. It's just a huge, surrealistic rock in the ocean, with scary, rugged, towering cliffs and fascinating rock formations, populated by a few super friendly folks and an army of sheep on bleak landscapes that make you feel like directly standing on Mars or Mordor. Who likes that anyway? Lovers of Max Ernst's œuvre maybe (Hah, caught!). Embedded in this mythical scenery, there is a remote distillery to be found right by the sea, where we got this wee bottling from. The rest is history.
Nose
Well, we are welcomed by a fresh, deliacte and very, very familiar bouquet! Smoked manuka honey, candles of bee's wax and Fleur De Sel on vanilla pastries. It's actually faintly reminiscent of some lost barbadian Rockley Style rum. But there is also a nice, musty addition of wet sheep wool, followed by a slightly medicinal note that takes you back to Scotland. Finally, we get a distinct sourness of fine apple cider and a minerality of German Riesling. This is some really good and solid taliskerness.
Palate
Creamy, pepper-y and sweet, all at the same time. We get leather, salted and smoked honey and a piece of lemon cake, drizzled with lemon oil. Within those citrusy flavours we also find some Earl Grey Tea with pure bergamot oil, spiced with a good quantity of white pepper. The european oak isn't really present, but that does no harm.
Finish
Quite long and satisfying, with plenty of those lemon and grapefruit splashes we appreciate so much.
Rating
Actually descriptions like 'triple' or 'four oak' maturation make us flee, often indicating the usage of unneeded (still wet) wine casks, but we can definitely give the all-clear in this case: two times Ex-Bourbon and one time refil sherry butts. For us, this expression settles right between the Distillers Edt. and the new 8yo Rum Finish and proves again that Talisker doesn't need any heavy first fill finish at all to be great. Final conclusion: While you are still breathing, take the opportunity to visit this unbelievable island!
