- 95
- 95
Talisker 57° North Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)
In its own special island style, it's hard not to agree that Talisker earns a place amongst the very best whiskies in Scotland. It's a statement confirmed by the likes of Jim Murray, with distillery bottlings averaging scores in the low nineties - an average similar to other benchmarks such as Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Highland Park and Laphroaig. Lost in a deluge of recent no age statement releases (Storm, Dark Storm, Skye and all the others), 57° North demands revisiting more than most. If laymen's reviews are anything to go by, this ranks as one of the most beloved whiskies of the last decade. Named for the same latitude the distillery is located on, the prospect of a Talisker at this ABV is exciting. And while 'special strength' isn't exactly cask strength, it's very close. Cask strength whiskies offer an extra dimension of flavour compared to their diluted stablemates. The careful, progressive addition of water at your discretion - instead of a predetermined amount by the distillery - allows one to fully discover everything that a malt has to offer. This rides the tidal wave of 57% in an effortless way.
Tasting note: Brilliant brassy gold. Opening sniffs detect a sweet, salty, maritime-style top note over granita biscuit, vanilla, chocolate, manuka honey and refreshing peppermint. After 3-4 minutes of air contact a dense blanket of sooty peat swamps the bouquet, followed by drier notes of white-pepper, kipper and dustings of cocoa. Immediately rich and warming in the mouth; entry features cream tea biscuits, then comes a flood of oily, peppery peat that fans out like a peacocks tail. Finish is vibrant, fresh, cough-lozenge like, tailing off with Fisherman's Friend, brine, lingering sweet malt and late lanolin in the aftertaste. Bracing yet beautifully balanced. Showcases Talisker's trademark salt'n'pepper profile to stupendous effect. 57% Alc./Vol.Other reviews... melts to allow the slow blossoming of a quite beautiful and peaty thing...a glowing whisky.
95 points- Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2016
Gold Medal Best Islands Single Malt - World Whisky Awards 2012 "A juicy, coastal imbued nose of barley along with hints of boiled sweets and sugared almonds...Charred toffee and vanilla with a whack of peat and chilli coming through on the palate and in the finish. Superb stuff. A serious wake up dram !" - World Whisky Awards 2012