I absolutely loved the 8-year old Talisker from 2018's Special Releases (full review here). It ticked every one of the boxes on my Talisker wishlist - cask strength, natural colour, non-chill filtered, and it was matured in first-fill bourbon casks while still showing the distillery character beautifully. I also scored it very highly at 4.5 out of 5, and it absolutely deserved that praise. So when the 15-year old Talisker was announced in 2019, I had to get one, and like the previous year it was once again the Special Release that I was most excited about. Again, those same Talisker boxes have been ticked - cask strength, natural colour, non-chill filtered, and matured in ex-bourbon casks - which is something that needs to be addressed. Due to the slightly vague wording used on the packaging and associated press which states "Matured only in freshly charred American oak hogsheads", quite a few people took this to mean virgin oak casks. Which never sat properly with me, I couldn't see anyone maturing a Talisker in virgin oak for 15 years, let alone freshly-charred virgin oak: the normally-robust and characterful spirit would likely have been ruined by excessive wood influence, and would be devoid of distillery character, and I knew that Diageo wouldn't be that silly. So I reached out via social media to Colin Dunn, Diageo's Whisky Ambassador based in Britain, and asked him to clarify. He helpfully confirmed what I had suspected, that those American oak hogsheads were refill ex-bourbon casks, not virgin oak. So we're talking 15 years in re-charred refill ex-bourbon hogsheads (250-litre casks that are re-coopered / up-sized from barrels). Which if you ask me is a much more exciting proposition than 15 years in virgin oak could ever hope to be!
That re-charring of refill casks, plus the extra seven years of maturation, meant that this new addition would present a very interesting comparison to the previous year's 8-year old release, which was matured in 'deep-charred' first-fill bourbon casks. Using refill casks will of course reduce the cask influence, but it's not that simple, since those refill casks were re-charred prior to filling, and also since this whisky spent nearly twice as long in those casks. This is also the first time that an official bottling of Talisker has been bottled at 15-years of age, which will add another point of difference. It's important to remember though that the vast majority of Talisker is not matured at the distillery on the Isle of Skye, but rather on the mainland of Scotland in Diageo's centralised warehouses, both because there isn't a great deal of warehouse space at the distillery itself, and also because it's easier and logistically cheaper to do so. But there's no denying that the better Talisker single malts do have a distinct maritime influence, with salt & pepper, seaweed and other coastal notes presenting to various degrees. And Talisker isn't alone here, with many other coastal distilleries in similar situations. So where does that influence come from if the majority of their spirit is transported off the island in stainless steel tanks? That's a point of contention, and it's where the alchemy and mystery of whisky comes into play - essentially, there's no straight answer. But it certainly adds to the magic of whisky!
This 2019 release weighed in at a natural cask strength of 57.3% ABV, and is non-chill filtered and naturally coloured. There seems to have been more of this one released than there was of its 8-year old predecessor, and while understandably more expensive it is priced at around $180 AUD, which is quite a good deal for a whisky of this level. It's still widely available down under at the time of writing, so get on it people! A cask strength bottling of Talisker, either official or independent, is quite a rare thing. And that's a shame, because the 8-year old and this 15-year old have shown how fantastic such things they can be. Even the distillery's '57 North' bottling, while not full cask strength and lacking age statement, shows a vastly different side of the distillery to the standard 10-year old. Even more so the non-age statement lukewarm likes of Storm, Dark Storm, Skye and the massively disappointing Game of Thrones release (reviewed here). So let's hope that Diageo keep these Special Release Taliskers coming! Speaking of which, remember that announcement that I mentioned at the start of this post? Yes, the 2020 Special Releases will give us another cask strength Talisker, and this time around it's back to 8-years of age, but with a difference - this one has been finished in Carribean rum casks! If memory serves that's a first for Diageo's single malts, and is definitely a first for Talisker, so that's extremely exciting. Let's hope it gets over the water to Australia in a hurry! But for now, let's take a look at the 2019 release and see how it fares!
Talisker 15-year old Cask Strength, 57.3%. Isle of Skye, Scotland.
2019 Special Releases. Matured in freshly re-charred refill ex-bourbon American oak hogsheads. Non-chill filtered, natural colour.
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Sweet, rich & very Talisker - sea salted and cracked black pepper, a mild & fruity green chilli, and rich, buttery salted caramel fudge. Some warm spicy & nutty charred oak, dried lemon and a little toasted coconut around the edges. Some sweet stone fruit with more time - nectarine and peach, with a little cream on the side.
Texture: Medium weight, rich, salty & oily. No heat at all.
Taste: Delicious. Salted caramel dessert sauce with extra sea salt flakes. Black pepper and that mild, fruity green chilli again. Not as sweet as the nose suggested, but not quite dry either. Charred wood spices and a little seaside musty-ness behind - think wet sand and drying seashells.
Finish: Long. Black pepper carries through, as does the salted caramel sauce, but it's more buttery here. That slightly muddy & musty wet sand again too. Some charred wood dries things out, along with some brine and crystallised ginger. More sea salt, some dried lemon & lime, and a little more of the salted caramel to finish.
Score: 4 out of 5.
Notes: Another delicious cask strength Talisker, and another really great example of what they can do, showing loads of character. Yes, I do prefer the 8-year old, but there really isn't much of a gap here. The 15 is a little sweeter and a little cleaner with less peat and less cask influence (which all makes sense), and it shows a more refined version of the same distillery character, perhaps with a little less complexity, but that's nitpicking. The 15-years has helped it hide its ABV extremely well too, this is a very easy drinking single malt at over 57%. The fresh charring is evident too, but it does work very well, drying things out at the right times, and seeming to boost the salt & pepper as well.
Imagining that the 8-year old was still available, is the 15-year old worth the extra money over the 8? Yes, yes it is. But if you're a Talisker fan, or even just an Island whisky fan, you'll be wanting both. They're different drams, but both have the same delicious distillery DNA on show. This one is highly recommended - get it before it's gone. Now bring on the 2020 release please!
Cheers!
That re-charring of refill casks, plus the extra seven years of maturation, meant that this new addition would present a very interesting comparison to the previous year's 8-year old release, which was matured in 'deep-charred' first-fill bourbon casks. Using refill casks will of course reduce the cask influence, but it's not that simple, since those refill casks were re-charred prior to filling, and also since this whisky spent nearly twice as long in those casks. This is also the first time that an official bottling of Talisker has been bottled at 15-years of age, which will add another point of difference. It's important to remember though that the vast majority of Talisker is not matured at the distillery on the Isle of Skye, but rather on the mainland of Scotland in Diageo's centralised warehouses, both because there isn't a great deal of warehouse space at the distillery itself, and also because it's easier and logistically cheaper to do so. But there's no denying that the better Talisker single malts do have a distinct maritime influence, with salt & pepper, seaweed and other coastal notes presenting to various degrees. And Talisker isn't alone here, with many other coastal distilleries in similar situations. So where does that influence come from if the majority of their spirit is transported off the island in stainless steel tanks? That's a point of contention, and it's where the alchemy and mystery of whisky comes into play - essentially, there's no straight answer. But it certainly adds to the magic of whisky!
This 2019 release weighed in at a natural cask strength of 57.3% ABV, and is non-chill filtered and naturally coloured. There seems to have been more of this one released than there was of its 8-year old predecessor, and while understandably more expensive it is priced at around $180 AUD, which is quite a good deal for a whisky of this level. It's still widely available down under at the time of writing, so get on it people! A cask strength bottling of Talisker, either official or independent, is quite a rare thing. And that's a shame, because the 8-year old and this 15-year old have shown how fantastic such things they can be. Even the distillery's '57 North' bottling, while not full cask strength and lacking age statement, shows a vastly different side of the distillery to the standard 10-year old. Even more so the non-age statement lukewarm likes of Storm, Dark Storm, Skye and the massively disappointing Game of Thrones release (reviewed here). So let's hope that Diageo keep these Special Release Taliskers coming! Speaking of which, remember that announcement that I mentioned at the start of this post? Yes, the 2020 Special Releases will give us another cask strength Talisker, and this time around it's back to 8-years of age, but with a difference - this one has been finished in Carribean rum casks! If memory serves that's a first for Diageo's single malts, and is definitely a first for Talisker, so that's extremely exciting. Let's hope it gets over the water to Australia in a hurry! But for now, let's take a look at the 2019 release and see how it fares!
2019 Special Releases. Matured in freshly re-charred refill ex-bourbon American oak hogsheads. Non-chill filtered, natural colour.
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Sweet, rich & very Talisker - sea salted and cracked black pepper, a mild & fruity green chilli, and rich, buttery salted caramel fudge. Some warm spicy & nutty charred oak, dried lemon and a little toasted coconut around the edges. Some sweet stone fruit with more time - nectarine and peach, with a little cream on the side.
Texture: Medium weight, rich, salty & oily. No heat at all.
Taste: Delicious. Salted caramel dessert sauce with extra sea salt flakes. Black pepper and that mild, fruity green chilli again. Not as sweet as the nose suggested, but not quite dry either. Charred wood spices and a little seaside musty-ness behind - think wet sand and drying seashells.
Finish: Long. Black pepper carries through, as does the salted caramel sauce, but it's more buttery here. That slightly muddy & musty wet sand again too. Some charred wood dries things out, along with some brine and crystallised ginger. More sea salt, some dried lemon & lime, and a little more of the salted caramel to finish.
Score: 4 out of 5.
Notes: Another delicious cask strength Talisker, and another really great example of what they can do, showing loads of character. Yes, I do prefer the 8-year old, but there really isn't much of a gap here. The 15 is a little sweeter and a little cleaner with less peat and less cask influence (which all makes sense), and it shows a more refined version of the same distillery character, perhaps with a little less complexity, but that's nitpicking. The 15-years has helped it hide its ABV extremely well too, this is a very easy drinking single malt at over 57%. The fresh charring is evident too, but it does work very well, drying things out at the right times, and seeming to boost the salt & pepper as well.
Imagining that the 8-year old was still available, is the 15-year old worth the extra money over the 8? Yes, yes it is. But if you're a Talisker fan, or even just an Island whisky fan, you'll be wanting both. They're different drams, but both have the same delicious distillery DNA on show. This one is highly recommended - get it before it's gone. Now bring on the 2020 release please!
Cheers!
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